PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT 2. Self-confidence.

It appears in the process of personal

LESSON 1: KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING ONESELF development, as a result of getting aware of yourself, your actions
DURING MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE and their consequences. Self-confidence is manifested in speech,
appearance, dressing, gait, and physical condition. To develop it,
SELF-CONCEPT you need to learn yourself and your capabilities, gain positive
 Your ideal self is the self that you aspire to be. It is the one that attitude and believe that by performing right actions and
you hope will possess characteristics similar to that of a mentor achieving right goals you will certainly reach success.
or some other worldly figure. 3. Persistence. It makes you keep moving forward regardless of
 Your actual self, however, is the one that you actually see. It is emerging obstacles – problems, laziness, bad emotional state, etc.
the self that has characteristics that you were nurtured or, in It reduces the costs of overcoming obstacles. It can also be
some cases, born to have. developed with the help of self-discipline exercise.
 The actual self and the ideal self are two broad categories of 4. Managing stress. It helps combat stress that arises in daily life
self-concept. from the environment and other people. Stress arises from the
 Self-concept refers to your awareness of yourself. It is the uncertainty in an unknown situation when a lack of information
construct that negotiates these two selves. creates the risk of negative consequences of your actions. It
 In other words, it connotes first the identification of the ideal increases efficiency in the actively changing environment.
self as separate from others, and second, it encompasses all the 5. Problem-solving skills. They help cope with the problems
behaviors evaluated in the actual self that you engage in to encountered with a lack of experience. It increases efficiency by
reach the ideal self. adopting new ways of achieving goals when obtaining a new
 The actual self is built on self-knowledge.
experience.
 Self-knowledge is derived from social interactions that provide
6. Creativity. It allows you to find extraordinary ways to carry
insight into how others react to you. out a specific action that no one has tried to use. It can lead to a
 The actual self is who we actually are. It is how we think, how
decrease or an increase of costs, but usually the speed of action is
we feel, look, and act. The actual self can be seen by others, but greatly increased when using creative tools.
because we have no way of truly knowing how others view us, 7. Generating ideas. It helps you achieve goals using new,
the actual self is our self-image. original, unconventional ideas. Idea is a mental image of an object
 The ideal self, on the other hand, is how we want to be. It is an
formed by the human mind, which can be changed before being
idealized image that we have developed over time, based on implemented in the real world. For generating ideas you can use a
what we have learned and experienced. method of mental maps, which allows you to materialize,
 The ideal self could include components of what our parents
visualize and scrutinize all your ideas, which in turn contributes
have taught us, what we admire in others, what our society to the emergence of new ideas. These are just some, but the most
promotes, and what we think is in our best interest. important personal effectiveness skills which make the
 There is negotiation that exists between the two selves which is
achievement of any goal easier and less costly.
complex because there are numerous exchanges between the
ideal and actual self. These exchanges are exemplified in social BUILD ON YOUR STRENGTHS AND WORK ON YOUR
roles that are adjusted and re-adjusted, and are derived from WEAKNESSES
outcomes of social interactions from infant to adult
development. Alignment is important. If the way that I am  Most failures emanate from weaknesses that are not recognized
(the actual self) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the or probably recognized but not given appropriate attention or
ideal self), then I will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace remedy.
of mind. If the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to  This could be a weakness in communications, personality or
be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment, will result in ability. Instead of giving up or indulging in self-pity, take action.
mental distress or anxiety. The greater the level of Go for speech lessons, get skills upgrading, attend personality
incongruence between the ideal self and real self, the greater development sessions or whatever appropriate remedies to
the level of resulting distress. Personal development ultimate your perceived weakness
aim is greater self-knowledge that will lead to higher alignment  Instead of simply focusing on your weaknesses, recognize your
between these two personality domains. own talents and abilities, build on them, utilize them to your
greatest advantage.
 This is where you can build your name and popularity.
PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Handicapped people like Jose Feliciano and other blind singers
Personal effectiveness means making use of all the personal
did not brood over their physical handicap.
resources – talents, skills, energy and time, to enable you to
 They recognized that they have a golden voice so they search
achieve life goals.
for ways to enrich that talent and now they have won
 Your knowledge of yourself and how you manage yourself
international fame in the field of music.
impacts directly on your personal effectiveness.
 Being self-aware, making the most of your strengths, learning
new skills and techniques and behavioral flexibility are all
keys to improving your personal performance.
 Our personal effectiveness depends on our innate
characteristics – talent and experience accumulated in the
process of personal development.
 Talents first are needed to be identified and then developed
to be used in a particular subject area (science, literature,
sports, politics, etc.).
 Experience includes knowledge and skills that we acquire in
the process of cognitive and practical activities. Knowledge is
required for setting goals, defining an action plan to achieve
them and risk assessment.
 Skills also determine whether real actions are performed in
accordance with the plan. If the same ability is used many
times in the same situation, then it becomes a habit that runs
automatically, subconsciously.
Here are some skills that will greatly increase the efficiency of
any person who owns them:
1. Determination. It allows you to focus only on achieving a
specific goal without being distracted by less important things or
spontaneous desires. It may be developed with the help of self-
discipline exercise.
 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
LESSON 2: Developing the Whole Person
ASPECTS OF THE SELF
The self-concept is represented by several aspects of the
self. It is conceived as collection of multiple, context-dependent
selves. This construct believes that context activates particular
regions of self-knowledge and self-relevant feedback affects self-
evaluations. A deeper look on the different aspects of self can
identify specific areas for self-regulation, stability and
improvement.
THREE BASIC, BUT VERY DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE SELF.
In a nutshell, an individual is composed of three basic,
but very different aspects of the self. All three aspects of the self-
work together in perfect harmony when attention is paid to all
three simultaneously.
For instance, a girl realizes that she is giving
much attention on the physical aspects and less
attention on her intellectual self. In this way, she can
discover how much money and time spent
maintaining her physique and its consequences in
her grades. By this honest evaluation of herself, she
can plan effective actions to improve her study
habits. She can start seeking for help and for related
books to read or browse articles to help her improve
her study habits.
Source: http://www.innerwisdom.com/aspect-of-the-
self.htm
Additional: Aspects of Development

1. Physical Or Tangible Aspects- as they relate to the body

(height, weight, facial appearance, and quality of skin, hair and
descriptions of body areas such as your neck, chest, waist, legs)
 Many individuals put a strong emphasis on the physical
aspect of the self. The body is tangible, obvious, and we
respond to it easily. More time and money is spent on
enhancing the physical component than either of the
other two aspects. This does not mean, however, that the
body is healthy or strong. The body provides a place to
house the spirit (often experienced as feelings) and the
mind (often experienced as thought).
2. Intellectual And Conscious Aspects as they relate to the
These other aspect of yourself has also great
mind (include how well you reason and solve problems, your contribution to your holistic development. These must be
capacity to learn and create, your general amount of knowledge, develop together with the 3 basic aspect (physical self,
your specific areas of knowledge, wisdom you have acquired, and intellectual self, emotional self or aspect). All Eight aspects of
insights you have.) development should be given equal attention in your
 It may be important to some that their mind can be development to be holistically developed.
prominent and well educated. The mind is important, as
it is the part of the self that directs the other two aspects.
The mind learns what to do and communicates the
information to the body and the feelings. What the mind
believes, the body manifests or acts on, and the emotions
feel, or respond with. People store both healthy and
destructive thoughts and beliefs and responds to life's
circumstances in the most prominent manner. The mind
provides access creativity and serenity which are
necessary for such processes as prayer, forgiveness,
acceptance, and passion.
3. Emotional and Intuitive Aspects/ Spiritual Self or Life
Force as they relate to the spirit and feelings
 Emotional relates to typical feelings you have, feelings
you seldom have, feelings you try to avoid, feelings you
especially enjoy, feelings from your past and present,
and feelings which are associated with each other.
 This aspects of self affects your state of being, and they
are very important in dealing with people and events.

Intuitive Aspects/ Spiritual Self or Life Force relates to your

faith and relationship with the creator Creativity relates to your
feelings about yourself and organized religion, reactions about
your spiritual connections to others, feelings about your spiritual
development and history, and thought about your metaphysical
self. Think about your inner peace and joy. Think about your
spiritual regimen or routine.

 The human emotions are the most feared aspect of the

self, as individuals are reluctant and unprepared to
manage them. Managing feelings is like trying to hold
water in the palm of your hand. They are illusive and
deceptive. A decision made under emotional stress and
strain usually impacts emotions negatively. Negative
emotions that are not managed are stored and repressed.
Repression is destructive to a content self since all
feelings, not only negative ones are stored away.
Accessing feelings when they are needed now becomes
difficult, leaving the individual numb and hopeless.
 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
LESSON 3: DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN MIDDLE AND
LATE ADOLESCENCE
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES
Development refers to how a person grows and
changes through life.
Human Development focuses on human growth and
changes across the lifespan, including physical, cognitive,
social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional
growth.
HAVIGHURST`S DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS DURING THE
LIFE SPAN
Robert J. Havighurst elaborated on the
Developmental Tasks Theory in the most systematic and
extensive manner. His main assertion is that development is
continuous throughout the entire lifespan, occurring in
stages, where the individual moves from one stage to the
next by means of successful resolution of problems or
performance of developmental tasks.
These tasks are those that are typically encountered
by most people in the culture where the individual belongs.
If the person successfully accomplishes and masters the
developmental task, he feels pride and satisfaction, and
consequently earns his community or society’s approval. This
success provides a sound foundation which allows the
individual to accomplish tasks to be encountered at later
stages.
Conversely, if the individual is not successful at
accomplishing a task, he is unhappy and is not accorded the
desired approval by society, resulting in the subsequent
experience of difficulty when faced with succeeding
developmental tasks.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
LESSON 4: THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE
ADOLESCENCE
Santrock (2012) cited the biopsychosocial approach
in emphasizing that biological, psychological, and social
factors interplay and contribute to create problems that
you need to overcome during adolescence.
Biological or physical factors such as genes,
hormones and brain development cause challenges that
adolescents need to face. According to Casey et.al., (2011)
the development of the prefrontal cortex after amygdala
has been linked to risk-taking behaviors and sexual
experimentation. While the prefrontal cortex is still
developing, your brain may not be able to process what you
feel and control your actions. In this case, it may cause
problems
Accordingly, one of the most difficult challenges that
you encounter as a teenager is finding a sense of identity.
The absence of concrete self-identity causes heightened
emotionality that usually causes problems. Later, you get
irritated and have mood swings easily. Sometimes, mood
swings become too erratic and negative, resulting in
relationship problems and depressions. If you have become
used to getting what you want, then self-control may
become an issue. If self-control is not mastered, concerns
like drug abuse, computer gaming, other delinquent acts
may emerge.as cited by Anderson et. Al., (2007) low
conscientiousness has been associated with drug abuse and
behavior problems. Hence, your emotions can influence
your actions and decisions; so, you become less objective,
and your actions may not be effective.
There are social factors that contribute to the
emergence of an adolescent namely family, peers, school,
socio-economic status and immediate environment. You
spend most of your time with your peers during
adolescence which may have negative effects on your
attitudes and behavior especially when your friends are not
so good influencer. For example, if you are fond of going out
with friends who are smokers and drinkers of alcoholic
beverages, there is a great possibility that you will also
learn to smoke and drink. On the other hand, if you will not
go with them, you might be rejected by them. Furthermore,
if you experience rejection, it may cause depression if not
handled well. Today, adolescents engage in romantic
relationships at an early age and may suffer various
consequences which may also lead to rejection. Connolly
and McIsaac (2009) cited that early dating is linked to
substance abuse, and that unsuccessful romantic
relationships lead to depression.
Additionally, teenagers who drop out from school
are more prone to drug addiction and other delinquent
activities. Also, there are studies that proves that poverty is
linked to many problems that adolescents are vulnerable to
(Santiago, et,al., 2011). And Chen et.al. (2011) also
mentioned that adolescents who live in an unhealthy
environment are in higher risks for developing problems.
Moreover, those who came from non-intact families
due to nonmarriage, separation, parents’ working abroad,
and death usually experience problems.
To sum up everything these are the challenges that
every teenager may encounter:
– Finding a sense of identity
– Self-control
– Romantic relationship at an early age
– Engage in activities that put their health and
dignity at risk
– Drop-out from school are more prone to drug
addiction and other delinquent activities
Non-intact families due to non-marriage,
separation, parent/s working abroad, and death usually
experience problems.
PITFALLS AND CHALLENGES OF ADOLESCENTS
The following are some of the common pitfalls and
challenges that adolescent may experience:
1. using and abusing drugs – this is often due to peer
pressure which means that the more your friend use illegal
drugs the greater the possibility that you will become
involved with drugs.
2. being addicted to computer games – teenagers are
hooked to these recreational activities merely because this
is not just for fun rather this gives opportunities for the
teenagers to express what they feel, create their own world,
and most importantly, find their identity in the characters
of the game. However, because adolescents have created
their own world in the game, they are sometimes unable to
distinguish reality from the virtual one. With amusement
that these computer games have offered to them, this
would result to cutting classes and worst stop schooling.
3. running away from home – some of the reasons of
running away from are their parents are hurting them
physically, feeling unhappy at home, a means of getting
what they want. According to Kimmel and Weiner (1995),
runaways who anticipate to finding something pleasant at
home return home sooner and manifest that they are less
traumatized than those who run away from something
unpleasant, such as being physically hurt or violated at
home.
4. being sexually promiscuous – due to hormonal
changes, teenagers normally experience heightened sexual
activities during this stage. Thus, becoming teenage parent
is possible. Based on the data of the Department of Health
(DOH) on the transmission of the human immune
deficiency virus (HIV) (2014), the most number of persons
who become infected with HIV are teenagers.
5. being depressed - According to the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM 5
ed.), at least 5 of the 9 symptoms represent a change in the
individual’s functioning (observed during a 2week period):
a. Depressed mood most of the day
b. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost
all, activities most of the day
c. Significant weight loss or weight gain, or decrease or
increase in appetite nearly every day
d. Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
e. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day
f. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
g. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate
guilt nearly every day
h. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or
indecisiveness, nearly every day
i. Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation
without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific
plan for committing suicide
6. committing suicide – is usually associated with
depression which is closely related with a sense of
hopelessness, low self-esteem, and high self-blame
(O’Donnell et.al., 2004).
After knowing these pitfalls and challenges, it will
help you avoid being trapped to difficult situations.
Sometimes teenagers put themselves into these situations
mainly because of their inability to express their feelings or
emotions especially when their significant people have high
expectations from them. But do not worry because there
are strategies to cope with these challenges…
STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH CHALLENGES
The challenges that you will encounter might cause
pain and stress on your part. While you are capable to
handle such situations, it may cause pressures that would
affect your well-being. So, here are some of the strategies
that may help you do so (Sevilla, 2000):
1. Learn to accept what you feel – when you feel sad,
angry, or envious, you need to embrace these feelings
because they are real emotions. They are only reflective of
who you are- a human being. Accepting your feelings means
allowing yourself to feel and express them.
2. Identify your vulnerabilities – knowing when you feel
intense emotions is important to acknowledge. For
instance, you have noticed that before you flare up in anger,
you first feel your face getting hot, your knees trembling,
and your heart pounding very fast. The next time you feel
angry and you see these signs, you excuse yourself from the
discussion and walk away.
3. Develop your talents and interests – know your
interests or things that you enjoy. After doing so, then
develop those competencies, talents, and skills in you. With
these, you do not allow negative thoughts or feelings
conquer your heart.
4. Become more involved with others – as they say no
one is an island so, we need others to support us. Do not
just focus on yourself but rather live your life with other
people that can give you happiness and influence you to
become a good person.
5. Seek help when needed – most of the adolescents
would feel shy and are hesitant to ask for help because they
might feel that they add burden to the person they are
asking help for. But you must remember that teenager still
must learn a lot of ways of being effective and
psychologically healthy. Thus, you still seek for help to your
support system.