5 Love Languages

I sent the information below to our Primary workers today, but felt that it would be worthwhile to share with our Esperanza educators and other stakeholders, too. 




You may have heard of "The 5 Love Languages." They were originally designed by a counselor for married couples, but they have application with other relationships as well. 

 

Below is a brief description of each:

• Words of affirmation. You like receiving notes or calls of appreciation, encouragement, gratitude, etc. 
• Acts of service. You like it when others serve you in some way such as helping with a project. 
• Receiving gifts. You like receiving any kind of gift that demonstrates the other person is thinking of you or cares about you.   
• Quality time. You like the other person to "be" with you.  It's the gift of individual attention.
• Physical touch. You like people to show they care through hugs, pats on the back, etc. 

 

Most people do for others what is most important for them. For example, Beth--our just released Primary secretary-- mentioned that her primary languages (a tie) are Quality Time and Acts of Service.  Therefore, they are what she is most willing and eager to give to the people around her. Yet, what we appreciate the most isn't always what others appreciate the most. 

 

 

•  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Name:_________________________________

 

_____     Words of affirmation

_____      Acts of service

_____      Receiving gifts

_____      Quality time

_____      Physical touch

Three Gates

I listened this morning to the BYU Devotional Speech that Pres. Thomas S. Monson gave on November 14, 2006.  He talked about three gates that we need to open in order to be successful:
Gate #1:  Preparation
Gate #2:  Performance
Gate #3:  Service
I feel these three gates could be important mottos for Esperanza--both for our educators and our scholars. 

Expected Esperanza Outcomes

I listened this morning to the BYU Devotional given by Pres. Samuelson and his wife Sharon Samuelson on January 10, 2012.  Sharon Samuelson shared the following about BYU:

The aims of a BYU education are an extension of our mission and are expressed as the expected outcomes of the BYU experience. They are, first, to be“spiritually strengthening”; second, to be “intellectually enlarging”; and third, “character building”; leading to, fourth,“lifelong learning and service."

I feel it would be wise for us to develop something similar for Esperanza.

More Wisdom on Leadership

In President Spencer W. Kimball's talk on leadership he compared the qualities of effective leadership that Jesus had to qualities of ineffective leadership of of others saying, "Whereas Jesus was selfless, they were selfish.  Whereas Jesus was concerned with freedom, they were concerned with control.  Whereas Jesus was concerned with service, they were concerned with status.  Whereas Jesus met the genuine needs of others, they were concerned only with their own needs and wants.  Whereas Jesus was concerned with the development of his disciples, they sought to manipulate mortals.  Whereas Jesus was filled with compassion balanced by justice, they have so often been filled with harshness and injustice." 

Appreciating Esperanza

As I listened this morning to the BYU Devotional speech given by Pres. Samuelson and his wife I felt there were many things that applied to how I hope we will feel about Esperanza. 

President Cecil O. Samuelson and his wife, Sharon, addressed students Tuesday morning—January 10, 2012-- in the BYU Marriott Center in the winter semester opening devotional. They told students why they appreciate BYU and encouraged them to be stronger in their studies.

 “We love the people we meet at BYU,” Sister Samuelson said. “This includes, of course, the students, faculty, staff and administration, but also the many loyal supporters, donors and friends who contribute in such significant and diverse ways.”

President Samuelson expressed his appreciation and love for the ‘Spirit of the Y,’ and the beauty and functionality of the campus, including the miracles that have produced so many significant facility developments.

Sister Samuelson reminded students of the mission statement of BYU and its dramatic difference from other university mission statements. The mission of Brigham Young University is to assist individuals to achieve the aims of a BYU education which are to be spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building and leading to lifelong learning and service

We have promised to be honest in all of our dealings, treat others and the institution with respect, and be personally responsible for all dimensions of our conduct and behavior.

President and Sister Samuelson also expressed appreciation for the mentoring opportunities at BYU and asked students to make it a priority. They also urged students to better understand the importance of studying for their classes.  Sister Samuelson said the president has mentioned that some students seem shocked about the expectation that they will spend at least two hours studying and preparing outside of class for every hour in class.  “What that specific preparation is and how you study will vary,” she said. “What will not change, however, is that it is impossible for you to get all you can from your classes and course work if you do not make the necessary independent effort to read, study, think, read and study some more both before and after class.”

It becomes clearer to me that this [BYU] is a very special place. We have not yet achieved our full possibilities but we have made progress. If our potential will be realized, then we should be confident and committed to doing our parts, individually and collectively, to make it so.

Trust and Accountability Are Essential

This morning I listened to a BYU Devotional Speech on trust given by Pres. Samuelson in January 2009. He mentioned in his talk a talk titled Trust and Accountability given by Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley on October 13, 1992.

In Pres. Hinckley’s talk he told about a book that he had recently read-- Lee and Grant: A Dual Biography. The author of the book, Gene Smith, made the following conclusion after tremendous research on both men who were generals on opposite sides in the Civil War: "Trust is what makes any army work, and trust comes from the top down."

Pres. Hinckley in his talk also shared the words of Lord Nelson on the morning of the Battle of Trafalgar: "England expects every man will do his duty."

We want everyone at Esperanza starting from the top down to learn his duty…and do it---without any excuses. If Esperanza is to become what we want it to become trust is critical, and with trust there must be accountability. This includes Board people, administrators, educators, parents, and scholars. We want all those who serve in Esperanza to have the very best academic credentials and strive for a quality of excellence in all that they do. In order to do this, their lives must be guided by true principles. According to Pres. Hinckley only when we do this will we be prepared “to live beyond ourselves and rise to higher planes of service.”