In taking the self-assessment exercise I was not surprised one bit by the result of this assessment. The Holland Codes reveled to me were Enterprising, Social, and Conventional. This just validates my preconceived notions of myself and through the following list of passions, values and motivations I try to instill all into my career and daily life as a Futures Trader. Passion: One of my greatest passions is helping others. When I was younger, I've enjoyed helping mom with her daily task. This sounds odd to most but how this developed is due to the fact my mom is both legally blind and deaf. As I grew older, that habit of helping others grew and I desired to help others as well. I like helping people find solutions that meet their specific needs. This habit also grew into the nonprofit organization I started three years ago. I'm passionate about making a difference. When I'm involved with a project at work I want to do my best to achieve success. I feel the same way about what I do in my personal life. Values and Motivation: My Belief in Others, It is my approach and attitude that lifts someone up when they are feeling down. Their uncertainty can be wiped away by my confidence. I believe it is contagious, the more I trust and believe in others the more you will come to recognize your “Awesomness.” Caring for others, as well as self preservation, allows you to lend a helping hand and to Pay it Forward. When we take a moment to convey the most simple sings of generosity it renews the fact that there are still plenty of good people left in this world/bushel. Commitment illustrates reliability, bravery, and tenacity. A commitment is a promise made as well as a expectation we have created upon ourselves. In honoring our commitments to ourselves first, we can make the difference between achieving what’s most important to us or feeling disappointed and defeated. Appreciation, taking a brief moment to say, “Thank You,” or just simple acknowledging the exceptional job the server did when waiting on me is not only encouraging for the beneficiary to hear; but it fills my soul with more appreciation too. I tell myself to go that extra mile in making sure that a person whom deserves created is receiving the credit earned. Compassion is one trait that can unite the most separated people together. There is no doubt that we may have different skin colors, religious preferences and political points of views, but at the end of the day, we still need to look out for and take care of one another. Chivalry, I love how the most simple and mind numbing activates bring such joy and bliss to ours I have touched. Every time when I am approaching a door and someone is ten steps or so behind me, I wait just one second longer before just walking through and instead hold the door for that one second. It’s amazing how something that can happen in a blink of an eye can carry so much lasting value. Dedication. No matter how the circumstances may change, the circumstances are outside my control for the situation, stay the course and never give up. I would rather be called a failure than a loser. Losers give up when things become too difficult. Failures are people who have just not found success – but will. So, call me a failure if you like, because it implies I haven’t stop trying.

Devotion. Some days are just naturally better than others. It’s the same way in our interpersonal relationships and in our faith. Things can get unstable at times, but staying devoted to a cause or to a person through the uncertain times is our rock to grasp when our faith and our foundation is shaky. Effort. No matter the outcome, there is always value in the effort when the effort is authentic and well-intended. Forgiveness. To be clear, the purpose of forgiveness is not to absolve someone of the sin(s) committed against me; but to free myself from the pain and the anger that is keeping me stuck. When you forgive, you are better able to let go of the past and keep moving forward with your life. Friendship. Friends support us and they provide an unfiltered view of our actions when asked. Friends sustain us through difficult periods and join us for the events we celebrate. Integrity. What defines our character and our integrity is not measured by what happens to us; but rather by how we react and respond to what happens to us. Listening. As a parent, one of the best gifts I will give t0, when I have children, is to listen; to really listen to what they are saying and to be fully present in the moment with them. Love. The presence of love in our life, the love we have for our families, our friends, our faith and for ourselves, is the single most important source of light and energy we can tap into when we have the need to be filled-up; or when we see the need to fill someone else up with grace, hope and our love. Optimism. I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. An expression I heard often went something like, “When God hands you lemons, you make lemonade.” The value of optimism is clear here – take what you have been given and make the best of it. Patience. Patience is a value which can also improve productivity because it creates a better state of mind, a clearer state of mind, for better decision making. Respect. We are all different, yet we are all the same in the sense we want to be respected for how we think and believe. When we show the proper respect we are not only validating the other person’s dignity, we are also enhancing our own. Making the Right Choices. It’s not that we always have to get it right; in fact it’s not reasonable to think every choice we make will be the right choice. But when we have completed our research, performed our discernment, and have listened to our inner wisdom the hope is we are guided to the right choice. Acting on this choice is where the true value exists. Sacrifice. Sometimes it’s appropriate to put someone else’s needs before your own. This is the meaning of sacrifice. Along with sacrifice comes some discomfort; perhaps even some pain. This is what makes sacrifice a value to live by.