This assignment is intended to push you out of your self-imposed limitations.

This assignment is intended to push you out of your self-imposed limitations. Do something you would not have normally done (go to a Buddhist meditation, sing karaoke, start a conversation with a stranger, give a public speech, buy dinner for someone less fortunate, etc.) and write a brief 2-page typed (double space, 12 point font, Times New Roman) reaction about your experience. Try to think of something that is genuinely outside of your comfort zone or usual way of operating. Feel free to be creative, this is for you! In your paper, discuss the following;

a. What did you do and when did you do it (HAD to be during the semester!) In what ways was it different from how you usually operate?

b. What were your expectations prior to engaging in the experience? What elements of your experience were consistent with your observations? What elements were inconsistent (different from what you expected?).

c. What advice would you give to other people who are planning on taking on this experience or activity?

d. Do you plan on participating in this activity again? Why or why not?

e. What would you have done differently, if anything, I terms of your preparation for the activity?

Measurement Procedure: Students will be evaluated on the completeness of their reflection with regard to the topic area identified as well as the professionalism of the paper and adherence to formatting guidelines. This fulfills SLO 1, 2, 3, 4. As a professional in any field, it is your responsibility to manage your time. 

What is personal growth?

• Take a moment to ask yourself why you are taking this class (aside from fulfilling degree requirements)
  • What intrigues you about the idea of personal growth?
    • Feeling a need for improvement?
    • Wanting to be your best self?
    • Suggestion of others?
    • Not feeling content with the way you are?
• Human beings are often seeking to improve their current situation (through improvement of self, circumstances, activities, etc.)

Why?

What are we searching for?

• Direction? Happiness? Fulfillment? and?
  • What do these things mean and why are they important?
• Direction
  • Where am I going in life?
    • Why am I on this path?
  • Is your direction purposeful? (chosen by you)
  • Is your direction passive? (a path you have been put on by someone else or by certain circumstances)
• Happiness
  • What does it mean to be happy?
  • How do we achieve happiness?
    • Ask yourself, what makes me genuinely happy?
  • Do you create happiness or does it happen to you?
• Fulfillment
  • What does it take to be fulfilled?
  • How do you know when you’ve achieved it?
    • A feeling
    • A combination of a sense of purpose and resulting happiness
• What else? Why are we here?

What are we searching for?

• Why are people susceptible to cults?
  • Why are we willing to go to such extreme lengths to find what we are looking for?
    • Sweat lodge example from text
      • People will put their own health at risk in order to find purpose and belonging
    • We are hard wired for connection
      • We seek to belong
      • It hurts to be disconnected, to feel alone or left out
      • The pain of disconnection often outweighs perceived risks
    • We seek out things that we think will give us purpose
      • What gives you purpose?

What are we searching for?

• Have you ever read a self-help book?
  • Why?
    • We often think we need to improve ourselves
      • This isn’t always bad, sometimes it helps to try to improve yourself
    • We are comforted by knowing that others have struggled in similar ways
  • Did it help? Why or why not?
    • Research has found that self-help books are often not based in scientific research
    • Self-help books are often vague in their prescription for change
• What are the keys to happiness?
  • Are you happy with your life?

Difference Between Growth and Development???

• Take some time to think about the following:
• What do you think of when you hear these words?
• What is growth?
• What is development?

Are they the same? How do they differ?

Barriers to personal growth

• Now that we have started to define personal growth and what motivates the journey towards it:
• What gets in the way of personal growth?
  • “If the consumption of these literary narcotics (self help books) were even remotely as helpful as their publishers claim, we would be a nation of serene, happy, well-adjusted people. It is clear, however, that serenity is not the dominant national mood.”
    • Anxiety and depression are on the rise – but why?
• What gets in the way of your attempts to change?

Why don’t we change?

• Think: When was the last time you tried to make a change and failed?
• Write: What prevented you from making that change?
• Think: When was the last time you tried to make a change and succeeded?
• Write: What helped you make that change?

How do we change?

• There are three critical components to change
  • Must be ready
    • Is this the right time to make a change?
    • Are you prepared to make a change?
  • Must be willing
    • Do you want to change?
    • Are you being forced into change?
  • Must be able
    • Is this a change you can reasonable expect to be able to make?
    • Are there limitations in your life that prevent you from being able to make this change?

What do you need to grow?

• Clear definition of the problem
• Investigations of attempted solutions
• Definition of concrete change to be achieved
• Formulation and implementation of plan

How do you achieve this?

• Exploration of the disadvantages of status quo
  • Why will keeping things the same not work?
• Exploration of the advantages of status quo
  • What is gained by keeping things the same
• Generating an optimism for change and growth
• Displaying an intention to grow and change