My Philosophy of Life
As each one of us may agree, most, if not all, people search for life’s meanings and the real purpose of our existence here on earth. We seek wisdom pertaining to man’s ways as well as finding astuteness in everything that we do. According to Merriam-Webster (2009), this pursuit of wisdom is referred to as philosophy. Further, philosophy involves an understanding of life’s reality and all aspects pertaining to it, including beliefs, thoughts, and concepts (Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, 2009).
In line with these facts, as a student nurse, I believe that examining my personal “philosophy of life” is an essential step to assess and reflect on my personal insights about the most important aspects in my life, or should I say, in my existence as a human being. In this manner, it can help me know myself better through digging my personal views, which can possibly affect my attitude in caring for my patients as I take my Nightingale’s lamp and practice my profession as a nurse in the near future.
In this regard, this paper aims to explore my very own “philosophy of life”, which encompasses the following aspects: my philosophy of life from a global and local view, physical aspect, financial, relationships, family, career, and spiritual factors. Hence, significant concepts from reputable and relevant references will be cited in due course of the discussion. Discussion Life Life, as we all know, is a God-given gift and therefore, it must be well taken cared of and it must not be taken away by anyone else or by any means (crimes, abortion, and etc. ). Moreover, life can have different meanings to many people.
Some may find their lives meaningful because they lived well and were able to cope with challenging circumstances, while others may view their lives as worthless due to the sufferings and misfortunes that they have encountered along their way. As for me, I believe that life has will be meaningful and momentous if lived with a purpose. In this way, I strongly believe that my life may serve a purpose to other people and as a student nurse and a nurse-to-be, caring for the welfare and well-being of others is one of my purposes. But honestly, I can say that it is very difficult- really very difficult.
I can only imagine how hard and exhausting it can be to take the burden and responsibility of caring for other people- caring about their health and putting a huge concern about their well being. Nevertheless, I should also take into consideration that the profession to which I am entering is the so-called “caring profession”. This is because “caring has been recognized as being central to nursing practice” (Potter and Perry, 2001, p. 102). It only means that I must embrace the “core” or the “heart” of my chosen field, that is, caring for others, specifically a wide variety of patients.
In this manner, I will be able to touch lives and inspire other people as I take charge of their health and health-related endeavors. Thus, with utmost perseverance and sincere interest to care for my patients, I believe that my life can be as purposeful and meaningful as it can be through serving others. Physical Aspect Physical aspect, body image or physical attributes of an individual do matter in his/her sense of well-being. As such, according to Potter and Perry (2001), body image is made up of a person’s perceptions of the body, which includes the physical aspects and internal facet, or “what’s inside”, of an individual.
In this regard, I see that it is undeniable that physical beauty does matter, especially in this world where there is a constant search for beauty, not to mention the cultural and societal and personal values that influence body image (Potter and Perry, 2001). However, I believe that what matters most is “what’s inside” of the person. If a person feels good inside, then it will also manifest in his/her physical looks or attributes. In this way, I firmly believe that we must take into careful consideration the physical, or outer, and internal, or inner aspects, of an individual. Financial Aspects
As common knowledge to everyone, finances, or financial aspects, are necessary for survival. Money is obviously needed to buy foods and other necessities of daily living. Finances are also important nowadays especially because there is an evident increase of healthcare costs and also the existing global financial crisis or the so-called “recession’. In this way, people are having difficulty to afford the growing costs of health services, which also aggravated by scarcity of financial resources brought about by the current crisis. However, as the popular saying goes “money is not all that matters in this world”.
I believe that everybody can find a way to solve this concern and eventually can still access health services. One example is the Primary Health Care strategy/program of the World Health Organization, which aims to provide health services at a cost that individuals, families and communities can afford (WHO, 2009). Moreover, I believe in the famous saying that “prevention is better than cure”, in so doing, financial constraints can also be prevented through taking care of one’s health. Hence, these facts encompass my philosophy or views in regard to financial aspects. Relationships
With regard to relationships, I believe that relationships are indeed vital in a person’s life and his/her overall health as well. Relationships are a component of an individual’s social life, which is an element of an individual’s health or overall state of well-being (WHO, 2009). I also believe that an individual must be able to exhibit and form good relationships with other people in his/her environment to help him/her grow and mature as an individual. According to Keltner, Schwecke and Bostrom (1999), social relationships foster growth through companionship, mutual support and to some extent, intimacy.
As a student nurse, I believe that building professional and therapeutic relationship with patients is crucial towards achieving successful client outcomes. Family The family is often regarded as the basic or fundamental unit of the society (Merriam-Webster, 2009). In this regard, it must also serve as a center where the foundation of values and honing of the talents of individuals take place. With this, I believe that an individual’s family can help him/her survive through the hardships that he/she can encounter in life’s journey.
Also, an individual’s hopes, attitudes, and aspirations are inspired and influenced by the early years with the family (Keltner, Schwecke and Bostrom, 1999). Thus, I believe that a family also plays a significant role in an individual’s existence. Career For me, a professional career in the future can bring me fulfillment and can also encourage me to grow personally and professionally. Further, the learning experiences that I can obtain through practicing my future profession can bring about new insights that I can use and apply to my daily endeavors.
Indeed, to be able to practice my nursing career in the near future is one of my ultimate goals and dreams as of this time. And when that time comes, I will surely be filled with gladness and an overwhelming sense of fulfillment. With this, I do believe that I must submit my self to various trainings and continuing education programs in the future, in so doing, those training programs will enable me to meet the demands, challenges, and new trends that the nursing profession has in store for me.
Spiritual factors According to Potter and Perry (2001), spirituality is a unique concept to each individual and is a propelling factor that enables an individual to love, have faith and hope and find meaning in life. It also encompasses a certain degree of connection to a divine, supernatural being- the unseen God (Potter and Perry, 2001). With regard to this, I believe that an individual’s degree of connectedness to God can affect his/her attitudes and behaviors in dealing with other creations.
I also believe that spirituality and my relationship with God can enhance my outlook in caring for my patients, thus enabling me to more kind, gentle, and compassionate in attending to their health needs. Conclusion Consequently, the previous subsections in this paper undeniably revealed my unique “philosophy of life” in the aspects and viewpoints pertaining to life, financial and physical aspects, relationships, family, career, and spirituality. Also, important quotations and ideas from relevant references were also cited and included in the contents of this paper, thereby enhancing its overall thought and presentation.
All these facets comprise most, if not all, of the essential outlooks in my life. I believe that this substantial examination and reflection (on the aforementioned aspects of my personal beliefs and philosophy) paved the way in knowing my self better. Thus, I hope that all these can somehow contribute to my development as a student nurse and as a caring nurse in the near future. References family. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/family Keltner, N. , Schwecke, L. H. , & Bostrom, C. E. (1999).
Psychiatric Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby. philosophy. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/philosophy Potter, P. A. & Perry, A. G. (2001). Fundamentals of Nursing (p. 102, 542, 591). St. Louis: Mosby. World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). Mental Health [Definition of Health]. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. who. int/topics/mental_health/en/ World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). Primary Health Care. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. who. int/topics/primary_health_care/en/
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