Prompt #1: Take a moment to respond meaningfully to the three questions that

are discussed as key to vocational discernment, and provide any additional

perspective that you may feel is necessary. Dont just settle for short, one sentence
answers. Try to be very specific, aiming for a couple of cohesive, well-written
paragraphs in response to each of the three questions. Also, write vividly and
descriptively paint a picture with your words here. Your responses to these
prompts shouldnt read like a resume or take the form of bullet points use
analogies / metaphors, engage and inspire us by painting a picture with your
words, and make some connections to the Father Himes videos.
The Three Questions:
What gives me joy? (What kinds of things am I doing when Im most naturally
content and happy?)
Father Himes defines Joy in his presentation of The Three Key Questions as the
sense of the rightness of the way in which one is living ones life. When considering
this, what gives me joy in life is spending quality time with my family, making a
difference in the lives of those around me and working hard on a tangible project
and enjoying the finished product.
Spending time with my family is definitely when I am my happiest. I was brought up
in a close knit family and we spent a lot of time together. Our time was ripe in
traditions and fun unique experiences that we enjoyed. My grandparents live in
northern Arizona and we would spend a great deal of time there working on
projects, playing games and just visiting with each other. To this day, I take my wife
and children there to experience the serenity and escape from the everyday
stressors this special place offers.
My wife and I both lead busy lives as we both have full time careers and have two
young boys. With that said we realize that spending one on one time together is
vital to our relationship. We try to have a date night once a week if possible where
we can just be together and reconnect after a hard week. I am definitely most
content and happy when my wife and I are deeply connected with each other and
with God.
I also enjoy making a difference in the lives of people. I have not had much free
time lately, but I would love to one day be able to spend time with my family
volunteering to help make a difference in the lives of those that have fallen on hard
times. On occasion, my wife and I will be at dinner and notice an older couple or
someone that seems could use a little bit of joy themselves, so we will anonymously
pick up their tab. It is a great feeling to know that you just may have made a
persons day and that there we no strings attached!
I also enjoy constructing and repairing things around the house. I recently became
interested in wood working and have completed several projects around the house. I

built a custom vent hood, resurfaced and trimmed the soffits above our kitchen
cabinets, installed crown molding in our kitchen, constructed wainscoting in our
dining room, and rebuilt our fireplace mantel and surround. The difference each of
these projects made to the overall look and feel of the rooms is incredible, and to
know that I personally created and built each one on my own is such a great feeling.

What am I good at? (What are my strengths?)

I feel there are many things I am good at, but not a ton of things I have completely
mastered. As the saying goes, jack of all trades and master of none. This is not
entirely true as I have mastered things in my life such as my career and the
software platform on which it is based. But I am really good at analyzing information
and researching. I have a high attention to detail and can be very focused. I am
very good with the computer software I use at work and technical problem solving. I
have always had a natural athletic ability and enjoy playing most sports.
A dream I had since I was a little kid was to follow in my fathers footsteps and
become a firefighter. While I pursued this recently and made the top tier of
candidates, I was not ultimately hired. I still believe this would have been a great
career for me as it taps many of my talents and desires. I am caring and have a
natural ability to advocate for those around me. I am physically fit and enjoy a good
challenge and thrill of danger. I also enjoy being part of a cohesive team that is
reliant upon one another.

What does the world need me to do? (What can I contribute?)

As I previously mentioned, I believe being a firefighter would have been the perfect
role for me in life. I would be exercising many of my talents and gifts and helping
those around me. I feel this profession would have provided me with the satisfaction
I desire from making a difference in my community. The problem is I am in my
middle 30s and will be considered old to be a firefighter very soon. With the
hiring so sparse and competition so high, I feel as though I missed the train on this
one. Its time to find another career that will fulfill these dreams.
When analyzing my talents and ambitions, one idea that came to mind was a
private investigator or detective. This may sound funny, as it does to me as well,
but I think I could be very good at this. My analytical nature, eye for detail, and
research ability seems to play right into this role. One of the big benefits to this type
of job is that, again, it is making some sort of difference in the lives of those around
us.

Prompt #2: Consider this weeks reading, Managing Oneself, by Peter Drucker.
While we do not have the time in this course to conduct a thorough feedback
analysis, we can consider some of our key decisions thus far in our lives reflectively.
Although, admittedly, this isnt quite as objective of a process, it is helpful in light of
the qualitative self-assessment well be doing later in this class.
First, consider several decisions /goals you have made over the last few years
ideally one or two that worked out well, and one or two that didnt work out as well
as expected.
Briefly list those decisions / goals here:
A decision or goal that I made over the last few years that worked out well
was completing my degree in Organizational Leadership.
A decision or goal that I made that did not work out as expected was the
pursuit of being a firefighter.
Now, reflect on the ramifications / results / successes / failures of these
decisions / goals, and respond to the following questions:
What results are you skilled at generating?
The results I am skilled at generating is general success in most things I
pursue and connecting with people around me. I am determined and
committed to doing the very best job I possibly can and typically achieve a
high level of success. Even though my pursuit of firefighting didnt end they
way I hoped, I finished with the top grade in my EMT program (out of 60
candidates), passed the nations EMT exam on my first attempt (which is
typically hard to do) and made the top 40 candidates for the fire department
out of over 4,000 applicants.
What abilities do you need to enhance in order to get the results you want?
I think the abilities I need to enhance to get the results I want is to build a
higher level of self confidence and figure out a new passion that I can focus
my attention on. I think one of my biggest hurdles is really figuring out what I
am passionate about. Other than my passion for family and desire to help
others, I have not really found what my true passion in life is.
What unproductive habits are preventing you from creating the results you
desire?
The unproductive habits that prevent me from creating the results I desire are
the excuse of being too busy to pursue passions and putting the needs of
everyone else above my own. While I am truly busy and it is easy to say I will
pursue something new when I finish school (or some other excuse) the truth

is there is no time like the present. Each day I procrastinate is another day
wasted that I could be doing something I truly love. I am by nature one that
puts the needs of those around me first. While this is not a bad quality at all,
it can become somewhat of a roadblock of reaching my goals and dreams. I
think the key here is finding a good balance between the two.

Prompt #3: Now consider the following questions also posed in the Drucker article.
Give each one some thought, and provide a brief response to each.
Am I a reader or a listener?
I am definitely a listener as it takes a very interesting piece of material of
reading to hold my attention for any length of time. But I can engage in
conversation with an individual for hours. I much enjoy listening to someone
speak about a topic, rather than read about it. I found Druckers example of
Dwight Eisenhower very interesting as I have always admired him as a leader.
I would never have guessed that about Eisenhower, but it provided me with a
little more confidence in knowing someone I admire also struggled in some
way whether it be reading or listening.
How do I learn? Make some connections to OGL 498 Pro-Seminar I
(Assignment #1 - Plus / Delta Significant Learning Experiences Structure
and Transfer)
I definitely learn by doing. I need to get my hands dirty and engage in the
problem. It is by working through the problem and overcoming the challenges
that I learn the most. I learned HTML years ago by making web pages from
scratch. I did take a class on HTML and learned some of the basics, but it was
through building the actual web pages and seeing how each code impacted
the page by which I learned them most.
My significant learning experience from Pro-Seminar 1 was the project
management simulations from OGL 321. I chose this experience due to the
fact that it was a hands on approach which allowed me to apply the various
skills that I have learned. In doing so, I am able to sharpen my skills and learn
from my mistakes.
Drucker mentioned that most people he asks know the way they learn, but
few actually act upon this knowledge (Drucker, pg. 5). I would venture to say
that I act upon this knowledge as much as possible. Whenever I have an
opportunity to get my hands dirty and learn by experience, I try to take
advantage of it.
Do I work well with people (and in what relationship), or am I a loner?

I work very well with people in most situations, but I am most efficient when I
am working by myself. It really depends on the situation and people involved.
I do expect a high quality end product in any project I am involved with,
whether it be at work or at home. There are times where I feel as though I
have to take the reigns or the project will not be completed to the degree I
expect. This is something I am working diligently on though, as I know that a
leader is only as good as their followers. Responsibility and ownership must
be entrusted to them in order for them to grow and gain respect for their
leader.
Do I produce results as a decision maker or as an advisor?
I would love to say that I am a decision maker, but if I am to be honest, right
now I am more of an advisor. This could be due to the fact that I have not
been in the role of a decision maker in my professional life and have always
served as more of an advisor. On the contrary, in my personal life, I think I
play both roles, as does my wife in the decision we make for our family.
Do I perform well under stress, or do I need a highly structured and
predictable environment?
As much as it is nice to work in a highly structured and predictable
environment from time to time, I do perform well, if not better under stress.
My job is very fast paced and requires efficient and accurate deliverables. It is
under the tight time tables with the more important projects that I am most
efficient and focused.
Do I work best in a big organization or a small one?
I have always worked for a smaller organization and while I see there are
some benefits to the corporate world, I definitely prefer the family feel and
team environment a smaller organization offers. With that said, I am not
opposed to spreading my wings and working for a larger organization if it
means I can realize more of my goals and dreams.

Prompt #4: For this prompt, complete (and include) the identities exercise / table,
and then answer the following questions.
Areas of identity / Life
role
I am a
Professional or vocational
role(s) - (job, career,
etc.).

How does this role

define your selfconcept or views?

How does this role

influence your
priorities and your
actions?

Employee

Family role(s)
Husband

Father

I was a partner in the

company I currently work
for and made a strategic
decision to sell my shares
of the company and return
as an employee. These
events have caused my
self concept to go from
one of decision maker in
the organization who was
burdened with the stress
of the ins and outs of the
organization, to one of an
employee where I can
focus mainly on the work
at hand. This provided me
the time and freedom to
spend more quality time
with my family and also
return to school to
complete my degree.

The transition between

the role of owner and
employee has had a big
influence on my priorities
and actions. I am less
concerned with the
bottom line and more
concerned about the
quality of my individual
projects and the
relationships I can now
have with my coworkers.
I am also able to feel
more free to leave on
time and focus on things
outside of work.

My role as husband has

really made me think
about my self concept and
just how important of a
role it is. I strive to be the
rock for my family and
provide the stability
needed. I am here to
serve my wife and make
sure she has the support
and love she needs in
order to reach her
individual goals and
dreams. I am also striving
to be the spiritual leader
of the family.
My role as father has been
one of the most rewarding
and challenging. I have
learned that although I
have little experience with
babies and young
children, I am able to do a
great job. This role has
made me think about my
self concept as provider,
teacher and protector.

This role has influenced

my priorities in that I no
longer focus on what I
need, or what I want. It is
now about what we need
and want as a couple and
her needs as an
individual. It is a priority
for me to lead the
relationship in a servant
manner.

This role influences my

priorities in a whole new
way. Most everything that
was a priority prior to
having children takes a
back seat. My childrens
well being is priority
number one and I will do
whatever is needed to
make sure they have
every thing they need
and every opportunity to

succeed in life.
Cultural / ethnic group(s)
White Male

Political affiliations
Conservative

Religious affiliation(s)
Christian

My self concept of being a

white male is defined by
the struggle of wanting to
be viewed as equal to all
other ethnicities, but
constantly feeling the
tension due to both
historic and present day
issues.

This influences my
priorities in that I want
inspire a culture of
human beings and not
racial inequalities.

I also believe in that what

you get out of something
is directly related to what
you put in. Thus I work
extremely hard and am
very loyal which has
translated to a successful
career for me so far.

This role also influences

me to work extremely
hard and to not expect
nor want anything for
free. There is great
satisfaction in earning a
reward through hard
work.

My self concept from a

religious standpoint is
based upon my faith in
Jesus Christ which drives
the standard to which I
want to live my life. My
values, morals and way I
treat those around me are
all defined from my faith.

This role influences me

by defining my values
and morals. It has taught
me to care about all
people and always strive
to do the right thing in all
situations.

How do your various roles influence how you see yourself?

My various roles influence how I see myself in that I have a broad range of roles
and responsibilities to fulfill. I see myself as a faithful, loyal, hardworking
individual that puts his faith and family first in his life. I also see myself as an
individual with a lot of responsibility built into the various roles and this
encourages me to keep working harder and harder to be the best I can be in
each of the roles.

How do your various roles influence how you see the world?

The various roles I have influence how I see the world in that they make it easier
to contrast the similarities differences between myself and others. From a
conservative perspective, I see the world as becoming more and more selfish
and lazy. From my role as a Father, I see the world as an extremely scary place
for my children to grow up which makes me take my roles as protector and

teacher very seriously.

How do you currently prioritize your roles? Which roles are most (and least)
attended to? Are you happy with this prioritization? What changes would you
like to make?

My roles are currently prioritized as follows: Husband, Father, Faith, Employee

and conservative. The role that is most attended to is my role as a Father and
the role that is least attended to is my role as a conservative. The only change I
would like to make is to make my Faith my number on priority. This has been
difficult to do in the busy life I lead, but I know is extremely important.
How do you see your roles changing in the future and how will that affect your
identity?
I see my role as a father changing in the future as my children grow. I will hopefully
transform from the protector and teacher to a mentor and leader. I also see my role
as employee changing from that of an individual that completes projects that makes
little difference in the world to one that works in projects that are very impactful.