Knowing Yourself
The story of the samurai
We know ourselves when we are aware of our mood and our thoughts about the mood –developed through mindfulness techniques
How we deal with our emotions:
Self-aware-aware of moods, sometimes try to change them
Engulfed-overwhelmed by
emotions and helpless to escape them
Accepting-aware of moods but
doing nothing to change them
Anger (think of a driver who cuts dangerously close to you)
Anger is stronger if it feeds on pre-existing stress
Anger feeds on anger
What to do
Challenge the thoughts that make the anger appear
Taking time to cool off (a walk, music, pleasant activity)
Anxiety-worrying about future events
The effort of the mind to control unpredictable events
What to do:
Awareness of the anxious thoughts
Critical analysis of the thoughts
Relaxation methods: breathing, meditation, exercise
Sadness
Positive -it offers a thinking retreat from the busyness of life
Negative-depression makes us unable to live our lives, lack of vitality, pleasure and hope
What to do
Look for the company of
other people
Become aware of the thoughts
that worry you
Question the validity of thoughts and look for other possibilities
Scheduling pleasant, distracting events
Crying
Motivation
Emotions can overwhelm concentration, memory and learning
Motivation and positive feelings of enthusiasm and confidence helps achievement (Olympic athletes start training as children)
Long training and persistence in the face of challenges are the marks of success
Impulse control –ability to delay gratification (marshmallow test)
Positive Thinking and Optimism
Students with high hopes set themselves higher goals and they work to achieve them
Hope is the belief that you have the power to accomplish your goals
Having hope means you will not give up in face of hardship
Optimism means having a strong expectation that things will be all right
Optimistic people see failure as something that can be changed so that they succeed next time.
(Martin Seligman-study of 500 freshmen and the University of Pensylvannia in 1968