To move forward from the last one sent to you, the Jeffrey Brantley & Wendy Millstine book used indicates regarding “5-STAR VALUE” the following:
“Most of us need to receive some amount of appreciation for the work that we do. The best form may come in a pay raise, a letter of appreciation, or a compliment from your supervisor. But what if you feel that other’s don’t’ value your work? Over time, this perception can be very discouraging, and it can damage your self-esteem. This exercise will boost your sense of self-worth – because when you feel good about yourself, your work tends to improve.
1. Take this moment to first acknowledge all the things you do at work that keep everything flowing smoothly. In fact, without you, there might be total chaos – phones ringing off the hook, jammed fax machines, lost files, ignored customers, and so on.
2. Close your eyes and remember that appreciation starts from within. Be mindful of giving yourself daily praise: You work hard and have many talents. You are more than the value of your paycheck. You make an important contribution.”
We all know, from talking to our callers, that not only is it that we that need to feel our own self-worth while talking to a seemingly endless source of victims of domestic violence; however, to be able to best encourage our callers in building their own self-worth in their home life, we should do things to make certain that our self-worth is felt not only here at our workplace, but in our own home lives as well.
It seems to revert to what Martha discussed in our in-service a couple months ago (with respect to the book called, TRAUMA STEWARDSHIP: An everyday guide to caring for self while caring for others (by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk). She further illustrated her point in the difference between when we took care of ourselves prior to coming into the office and answering the callers’ pleas and when we live in chaos and try to talk the good talk about building their self-worth to the callers. In another words, the difference can put us into a different mindset, especially when we work on our own self-worth building. What do you find to be the best 5-star value building techniques that you could share with the callers? When was the last time that you took 5 minutes to give yourself some praise and feel valued? ~~ NEXT WEEK’s TOPIC: FRESH EYES ~~
Some quotes to give fuel for thought about making your opportunities (to have “value”, for example):
“To allow ourselves to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.” ~ Thomas Merton, Catholic Theologian, poet, author, and social activist
“Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” ~ M. Scott Peck
“You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” ~ Jim Rhon
