Personal Reflection Writing Assignment

MY VISION

She tried to be with people who have been weak by society. This is my sentence, and it describes my central vision and the core value in my life. Why do I put my importance on this sentence? Each words of this sentence have special meaning for me. I'll explain the reasons of my thought dividing three parts.

The reason that I don't choose strong and powerful people but weak people is based on my religion. I'm a Christian, and I've believed in my God since I was a child. I grew up with the words of the Bible. So, the Bible influences my sense of value a lot. What the Bible tells us is how to relate with weak people. Jesus always stayed along with weak people who are illness, be despised and be kept away from others. The Bible teaches us that turning our eyes toward these people and going close to them. My willing is approaching to the teaching. That's why I care about weak people.

Second, why I'm focusing on "by society" is that I had many opportunities of listening to the situation of people who have been placed on low state which is created by society. And, I actually met such people many times in my life. A few of my impressive meetings are home-less people in Kitakyusyu and Kotobuki-cho (Yokohama), orphaned children in Thailand and Cambodia.They are took away their human rights by society. They are forced to be in a difficult situation because of the society's structure. It's hard to escape from the social negative-spiral by them own. Through these meeting, I learned that the essence of "weak people" is "people who have become weak by society". I shouldn't forget the roots of matter about social structure which makes hierarchy. Including this self-remonstrance, I use the expression "by society" in my sentence.

Finally, I express my basic stance in the simple key word "be with people". People who listened to my vision often ask to me, "So, what you want to do is like international corporation or support?" But, my vision is not same as international corporation. I have an image for "international corporation" as helping others. However, I don't want to make a relation which involve the difference between helpers and people who are helped. I just would like to live with them. I wish I and people who have been weak by society to share own feeling, effort and suffering.

These three reasons compose my sentence. So, my central vision and core value is that looking at many small lives, go there and be along with them with my respect as a human. This is very simple way of living, but it's not easy to do completely. So, I have read the Bible to be sure how can I live.

Week Six Writing Assignment

In the case of happening the conflict, the leader concern about the relationship among the group members. The leader try to solve the problem as soon as possible. In the mind which is concerning to heat up the conflict, their mind would be busy and not calm. The situation would be stressful for the leaders. These stress would make them disturb to choose one way. The way is that to wait the time until the situation a little calm down. The leaders can't wait and do something through the strong way using the leader's power.

However, the strong way might make the situation worse. What I try to do as a leader in such a case is waiting the time and seeking the good timing. Waiting is not so easy for leaders, but it's necessary process. The reason is that if the leaders take a way such "the top down", the conflict might heat up more and more. So, I try to seeking the best timing to solve the conflict with my belief. The belief is in the Bible.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiasetes, old testament in the Bible)

The time will come. I believe and hope that, and spend the time of conflict.

Week Five Writing Assignment

Keeping everyone informed, involved, and thinking about solutions is what I'm trying to do in my church.

I attend church service every Sunday. After the service, we have a Bible study which is divided by each generation. In that time, we read a part of article of Bible, and discuss about that. I have became a leader in the youth group of Bible study from this spring. Until I entered university, I attend the Bible study of junior and senior high school student group.So, I just spent one year as a member of youth group.

Through this one year, I found many problems of the youth team. I was really concerned about the atmosphere in the Bible study. There are about 15 young people. Some people are good at speaking by own words and they can talk a lot. On the other hand, some other people are shy and not good at express own thinking in front of others. Some of them are active, but others are passive or negative.

I analyzed this situation, one of the main reasons of these problems is that there is a gap of motivation which each member have. I did some action to solve the problems.

1. Sharing the goal

Every groups set a goal every year. But, youth group set the same goal for a few years because they hadn't achieved enough. So, we need sharing and realizing the goal.I proposed making the cards which is writing our goal. I prepared some cards, and asked them to write the goal. After collecting them, I passed them to one of members who is making very cute hand made stamps. Then, she stamped her stamps with the cards. And, I distributed them to all members. Now, we put it in the Bible.

2. Sharing the information

We have used the mailing list to inform something. But, some members are not become in the member of the mailing list. Properly, the unentered members couldn't get the information and felt a sense of estrangement. So, I inform the news for all members now. Moreover, I try to contact each one by one, especially the members who are negative. I believe that each member recognize oneself as an important member in the group.

3. Encouraging their consciousness

I asked their feeling for the Bible study and the youth group, then everyone have a negative feeling at some points. So, we start a new structure. Now is the time to grope. Then, I ask them "Please tell me everything what you think or aware about this group even the idea is so small."

These are some of my tryings to solve the problems. The obvious result haven't appeared in this time. But, what I can do is keeping these trying.

Week Four Writing Assignment

"His self-control, lack of self-pity, and ability to care for others are admirable qualities.

But his disregard for his own health undoubtedly contributed to his early death."

I was impressed with this sentence in the book "Leading at the Edge". I could learn the importance of self-carefulness.

People often think that the leaders have to think of the other members and the situation. The main work is controlling them by their skill of leadership. It seems as the general thinking. But, there is the another important point which the leaders have to consider. That is self-carefulness. The reason of why I thought such a thing is that the leader's feeling and sense could be spread to the others. If the leaders didn't feel happy, the atmosphere would be negative. If the leaders had joyful mind, the other's minds also would be positive. This kind of thinking is written in previous chapter and my blog.

In addition, I believe, people can't support each other without their independence. People can do that only after when they stand each oneself. If one person lost his/her pleasure or pride, the other people should take care about him/her. Therefore, the leaders have to lead the other members with own attitude. To keep the good attitude, the leaders should consider self-carefulness.

Week Three Writing Assignment

There are many sentences which I could agree to in Chapter 3 "Optimism and Reality". The most impressive sentence is "Stay in touch with reality".

I'm optimism mostly in various kinds of situation. I'm good at seeing the situation from the better side and grasp any kinds of situation as good things. This spirit is able to spread to others. People can share the same mind in some cases. However, I was noticed that I shouldn't forget to stay in touch with reality which is facing at that time. I live in this world, so I have to stand on the reality. Even if the situation was worst, I have to look at the situation and think about it. Otherwise, to think optimistically about the situation could be just the escape from the reality and dangerous situation which I don't want to look at. I think, people have a responsibility to live while fighting, not escaping.

That is the most impressive teaching in this chapter.