"Free Time" - A Reflection of Our Values

If you want to know a person's true values in life, just watch what he does when he has "free time" or "extra money." Observe the types of things he tends to focus on. Listen to what he tends to converse about. Watch the way he spends his money.

"Free time" and "extra money" give a person the opportunity to express his deepest innermost values - to demonstrate, by what he does, who (or what) his true God (or god) really is. When all the requirements and obligations that come from others have been met (or are being ignored), and he is able to follow the impulses of his heart, then his true nature will be seen for what it really is. Even if circumstances prevent him from doing whatever he desires, he may still talk about it. Most likely, the only time his deepest values will not be expressed is when they are so contrary to the values of those around him, that he finds it expedient to suppress them. Even then, they cannot be hidden forever.

Dennis Hinks ©1996
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