Dignity: Up Lift and Give Back 

“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It about what you’ve given back”  

Denzel Washington 

Much of my life I have strived for accomplishments. It wasn’t because I wanted to help others. It was about me. I was always working hard to prove myself and to get approval from others. No matter what it took I looked for that pat on the back and those moments that I could be recognized. I stepped over many people to get that recognition. I looked for my dignity through others approval. I will tell you that doesn’t work. It is a short lived high. I had to do more and more, always looking for someone to validate me and tell me that I am somebody. I don’t know if any of you have experienced that, but it leads to a dark place which will eventually send your world crashing. It happened to me in 2018. I remember lying on a stretcher in the emergency room, my blood pressure was sky high, my chest pain was 10 out 10. I thought I was having a heart attack but really it was the weight of my life choices piling up on my shoulders and I could no longer support it. I had to make a decision, so I stepped away from my leadership position and anonymity became my best friend. 

I took that year to find myself. I committed myself to my faith and to my family. It was interesting that when I took this dignity walk, I discovered the distance I put between myself and the people who loved me. I could be in the same room but be light years away and that happened because I was focused on me and the need to seek approval. It was when I was introduced to the Dignity Model and the Ten Elements of Dignity created by Donna Hicks PhD that I began to understand that all this time I was surrendering my dignity to others. I made that choice, and it was that discovery that opened a new world for me. It opened my eyes to the world around me and my focus became outward instead of inward. As I healed me, I wanted to help others. I wanted to make a difference. 

When I took on this role as Diversity Officer at Berkshire Health, I knew it was my opportunity to make a difference. It was my chance to uplift others. My success meant that I could help more people. There is no greater joy than knowing you gave someone the opportunity to succeed just because you listened to them, or they read this message, and it helped them start their journey of reflection. I got the same feeling from getting someone’s approval I get from helping others except it is 10 times stronger. It is why I say that as the Diversity Officer I am here for the 4000 employees as well as the close to 130,000 community members in Berkshire County. I will continue to be the voice for those who need to be uplifted and heard. I want my success to uplift others. 

Charles Redd RN 

Dignity Freedom Fighter