In Habit 3, Covey speaks about putting things first. One of the sub-topics in this chapter is overcoming peer pressure. Peer pressure undeniably is one of the greatest problems us teenagers face. How many times have I myself succumbed to peer pressure and done something I wasn’t keen on doing? Just a couple of months ago, due to pressure from my friends, I decided to consume alcohol. Although drinking wasn’t my cup of tea, I did it solely because they were doing it. I felt that I would be the odd one out if I did not drink. At the end, I felt guilty and blamed them for making me feel that way. In the book, there is a story of a teenage girl who was dumped by her friends merely because she didn’t skip school like them to go on a trip. She instead stood up to her values despite the consequences. This story made me reflect back. It made me realize, I too should have stood up and said no. It wasn’t even my friend's fault to begin with, I was the one who wasn’t standing up to me values and principles so how could I blame them instead? Just because they were drinking it didn’t make it ok for me to go against my value system and do the same. Like the girl, had I stood up my conscience would be clear and I would have had inner peace. However, all said and done, this isn’t the easiest habit to live by. But living up to your principles will give you immense satisfaction at the end. Doing things out of peer pressure only …show more content…
While I was reading, I realized how poor of a listener am I. The greatest joke was, while I was reading this very chapter my mother told me something and I responded back with a ‘hmmm’ and a grunt. When I thought back I realized I had zero clues what she had just told me 5 seconds ago. What an irony. Thinking back, I begin to realize how many times I have blanked out when someone is speaking to me. Half the time my mind wanders somewhere else and I have zero focus on the conversation. I just try to pretend that I’m listening when I actually am not. Covey says “Listen first with your eyes, heart, and ears. (APA). This means listening with your ears only isn’t sufficient. Things like body language and our tone of voice matter when you speak. After reading this my guilt level was high. Since then I have been trying to make more of a conscious effort to listen with my thought, body, and mind. Yes, I won’t lie, it hasn’t been that simple after all habits aren’t made overnight. Sean Covey has said, “We become what we repeatedly do.” I’ve taken it upon myself to always focus on what the other party is