Your values play such a key role in developing your character that you must be aware of how influences affect the things that are important to you. An influence is something or someone that has the ability to affect your attitude, way of thinking, feeling and behaving.
Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly being bombarded with influences. Have you ever been in a hailstorm and felt like you were getting hit from every direction? Or how about a batting cage, and the ball machine went haywire? Everything you hear, experience, and see, as well as, every interaction and conversation that you are a part of, have the potential to change the way you think and feel about the things you value.
How you are influenced can motivate you to create new values or affect what you already value. For instance, think about a time ago when a special speaker came to your school. During assembly he talked about the need for more young people who would like to study hard and become involved in a special program where they could travel to another country to study for a semester. You were so interested in this, that you learned to value the concept of getting great grades and of traveling to a foreign country.
Influences can come in all different forms. They can be positive or negative, bold or subtle. But the one thing they all have in common is: they all have the ability to affect what you value and affect your character in either a positive or negative way. Influences can include commercials, businesses, musicians/singers, alcohol, sports, religious leaders, school, food, movie actors/actresses, etc. All of these are influences, and they can affect you by changing the way you think, feel and act. We are more susceptible to influences than we realize, and just like in a hailstorm, they come at us from all directions. Like our character, influences can be both positive and negative. Knowing what you value will help you to decide what to allow yourself to be influenced by and what to ignore.
Many influences are subtle; so subtle in fact, that you could go through your whole life and not realize that they were influencing you. The foods you eat, for example, have an incredible amount of influence over the way you think, feel and behave. Improper foods that were never meant to be eaten can affect the way you think in a negative way. Excessive use of only foods with little nutritional value will keep you from growing and developing mentally to the best of your ability.
Did you know that colors also influence you? Some colors are noted for being calming and soothing. For example, whites and pastels are used in hospitals to calm the sick. Nurses and doctors also wear whites and pastels, for the same reason. Bright colors are said to influence learning. Hence, day care centers and other institutions for early learning use bright primary colors, such as yellows, blues, and greens. Advertisers are especially aware of how colors influence us. The color red stimulates our appetite for food and merchandise. Many restaurants use red carpets and red tablecloths. During the Christmas season, red is the primary color used in decorating department stores. It encourages shoppers to spend, spend, spend!
If any of you are pet lovers, you are probably already aware of how your pet influences you. Pets have been known to have a calming effect on people and their funny antics can make us laugh even when we are feeling down. Science has also realized what pet owners have known all along, that a pet can be your best friend. Animals are now used to help lift people out of their feelings of depression. They are used in nursing homes and at special times in children's hospitals. There is also a program called Swimming With The Dolphins that has had a remarkable effect on autistic and mentally disabled children.
Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly being bombarded with influences. Have you ever been in a hailstorm and felt like you were getting hit from every direction? Or how about a batting cage, and the ball machine went haywire? Everything you hear, experience, and see, as well as, every interaction and conversation that you are a part of, have the potential to change the way you think and feel about the things you value.
How you are influenced can motivate you to create new values or affect what you already value. For instance, think about a time ago when a special speaker came to your school. During assembly he talked about the need for more young people who would like to study hard and become involved in a special program where they could travel to another country to study for a semester. You were so interested in this, that you learned to value the concept of getting great grades and of traveling to a foreign country.
Influences can come in all different forms. They can be positive or negative, bold or subtle. But the one thing they all have in common is: they all have the ability to affect what you value and affect your character in either a positive or negative way. Influences can include commercials, businesses, musicians/singers, alcohol, sports, religious leaders, school, food, movie actors/actresses, etc. All of these are influences, and they can affect you by changing the way you think, feel and act. We are more susceptible to influences than we realize, and just like in a hailstorm, they come at us from all directions. Like our character, influences can be both positive and negative. Knowing what you value will help you to decide what to allow yourself to be influenced by and what to ignore.
Many influences are subtle; so subtle in fact, that you could go through your whole life and not realize that they were influencing you. The foods you eat, for example, have an incredible amount of influence over the way you think, feel and behave. Improper foods that were never meant to be eaten can affect the way you think in a negative way. Excessive use of only foods with little nutritional value will keep you from growing and developing mentally to the best of your ability.
Did you know that colors also influence you? Some colors are noted for being calming and soothing. For example, whites and pastels are used in hospitals to calm the sick. Nurses and doctors also wear whites and pastels, for the same reason. Bright colors are said to influence learning. Hence, day care centers and other institutions for early learning use bright primary colors, such as yellows, blues, and greens. Advertisers are especially aware of how colors influence us. The color red stimulates our appetite for food and merchandise. Many restaurants use red carpets and red tablecloths. During the Christmas season, red is the primary color used in decorating department stores. It encourages shoppers to spend, spend, spend!
If any of you are pet lovers, you are probably already aware of how your pet influences you. Pets have been known to have a calming effect on people and their funny antics can make us laugh even when we are feeling down. Science has also realized what pet owners have known all along, that a pet can be your best friend. Animals are now used to help lift people out of their feelings of depression. They are used in nursing homes and at special times in children's hospitals. There is also a program called Swimming With The Dolphins that has had a remarkable effect on autistic and mentally disabled children.
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Want to find out more about how to build character, then visit Kelsey Simon's blog on choosing the best moral values and principles for your needs.
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