MODULE 1

Forming the Heart and Mind of

GMRC Teacher
(Good Manners and Right Conduct)

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 Lesson 1
How I View Myself?
Learning Outcomes:
• Examine different views of the self;
• Identify strengths and areas for improvement; and
• Enhance acceptance and appreciation of self

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 You are about to take a journey, and like a good
traveler, you prepare the things that you need to
successfully reach your destination.

This journey will lead you towards self discovery,

understanding, acceptance, and fulfillment.

The best way to start is to know what you have, where

you are now, how far have you gone, how far still
would you want to go, and most importantly, what you
need to get there.

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 INTRODUCTION
"An unexamined life is not worth living"
(Socrates)
You are about to start your journey and your first stop
is taking a closer look at yourself. You will be making
an inventory of your strengths and limitations and
since becoming yourself is not a process that you do
alone so you will compare your self-assessment with
a friend.
Acceptance and appreciation of your self-discoveries
will lead you and bring you closer to your goal. Now,
let your journey begin.

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ACTIVITY: HUMAN FIGURE
On a whole page of bond paper, draw a human figure. You are that figure so
make it look like you, your hairstyle, your eyes, nose, shape of your face. Also, you
may include the clothes you love to wear, favorite accessories, shoes and pieces of
jewelry so they would reflect the real you.
Next, divide the paper into 2 by folding it at the center. On the left side of the
paper make a list of your characteristics both positive and negative by writing them
on the part of your body whose function relates to that characteristic. So for
example, open-mindedness is written near the head, dancer near the feet and so on.
Fold your drawing in such a way that the left side is concealed and only the right side
is seen.
Choose a partner and exchange drawings. On the right side, write the
characteristics that describe him in the same manner that you ask your partner to
describe you. Writing them on the parts of the body that relate with the trait in terms
of their functions.

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ANALYSIS
1. Are your self-descriptions mostly positive or negative?
2. Are the descriptions of you given by your partner similar or
different from your own descriptions of yourself?
3. How do you feel about these positive and negative characteristic
traits you discovered about yourself?
4. What do you plan to do after knowing your traits and
characteristics?
5. What significant insights have you gathered from this activity?

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 ABSTRACTION

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 At this point, how do you see yourself as a person? After taking closer
look at your traits and characteristics you are now aware of what you have
and what you can do and use them to reach your goal.

Your description of yourself tells you how you perceive yourself as a

person. The way you perceive yourself affects how you feel about yourself and
these are manifested in your behavior. If you attribute positive traits to
yourself, you will feel good and will also behave in pleasant ways. In my case, if
I believe I am a lovable person, I would feel good and happy about myself, then
I will be more open and free to relate with others thinking that they would love
what I do. But, if I think I am not lovable. I would feel insecure and refrain
from associating with others because I believe I am not lovable and nobody
wants to be with me.

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 In reality, we all perceive ourselves positively or negatively at one time or
another and sometimes there is a greater tendency for some of us to have negative
perceptions of self especially those who have self-esteem issues. Sadly, it colors
our outlook in life which in turn manifests in our relationships with others. What
is important is that we don't dwell on it but we move forward, maximize our
potentials, grow as a person and also contribute to enriching the lives of others.

Now, who do you want to be? According to Leo Buscaglia, "We have the right
to be ourselves and all we can do is claim that right." This sounds exciting and we
all would just love to claim that right. However, you may have some tendencies
succumb to society's standards of what is good and appropriate and many times
you find yourself short of these norms making you feel inadequate or uncertain
about yourself. The challenge to you is to acknowledge your real self, the unique
self that is not identical to anyone in this world.

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 The self whose characteristics are organized in distinct way that marks you as
different from all others around you. You may have limitations but as the famous
Helen Keller once said: "I learned that it is possible for us to create light and sound
and order within us no matter what calamity may befall us in the outer world." Take
note, God can't be wrong in sending you into this world to fulfill His purpose. Thus,
knowing your positive qualities and using them to the fullest for the enrichment of
yourself, of others and His kingdom is the true essence of becoming the person that
is You.

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 APPLICATION

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 To deepen the process of looking
into yourself, go over the
statements and carefully analyze
which of them is most applicable
to you by checking the box
provided before each statement.

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 1. I am usually taken for granted.
2. I don't think my outputs are really appreciated.
3. I find it challenging to meet the standards of my teachers.
4. I can't say what I really think and feel or else others might get hurt, or get
punished.
5. I should keep my feelings to myself or else I may hurt other people's feelings
so they won't like me.
6. I can't say anything critical about my parents or family members or else I will
appear ungrateful or disloyal.
7. I must not speak for myself or else will come across as pushy and
inconsiderate of others. I should always think of other people's needs before
my own or else I will be self-centered.
8. I must keep other people informed of all my accomplishments or else they
may not recognize my value.
9. I must be perfectly competent, adequate, and successful in everything I do or
else I cannot think of myself as a worthwhile person.
10. I have to please others and satisfy their expectations or else I am a failure.
(You may add other statements which are not in the list but they also affect
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THE VISION THERAPY OF JOHN POWELL

There are four techniques to correct our distorted visions whether about ourselves or
other things. You can challenge yourself to adopt these techniques and get a renewed
vision of yourself.

1. COUNTERING
It is a statement of truth we tell ourselves to replace the error in our false
thinking and distorted attitudes.
Example:
Distorted statement about the self: "I have to be available to everybody who
asks for my help otherwise I am unfair."
Countering statement: "I am very willing to help, but I just don't have the time."

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THE VISION THERAPY OF JOHN POWELL

2. MODELING
It is imitating a person who acts the way we want to act. We think, identify
with, and act like that person. I remember how my teacher refused a request in a
nice way.

Example:

My favorite teacher would usually say "I would be very happy to do it, but my
schedule has been filled up since last week."

Or: "I hope it's not urgent, but I can be available..."

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THE VISION THERAPY OF JOHN POWELL

3. STRETCHING
It is risking beyond our comfort zones to try new and more satisfying ways of
doing things. Caution must also be made that stretching should be done in a gradual
manner. If it's about refusing something, start refusing somebody who is requesting
for the first time or somebody who is not yet very close to you. Then do it with friends
until you get the art of doing it graciously. The risk of doing it abruptly is you might
get overwhelmed, or experience rejection resulting in a strained relationship. Think of
a situation that applies best to you and try this technique.

4. PRAYING
It is reflecting or meditating as to how God is communicating with you in a
particular event of your life. For example, instead of becoming defensive about
negative feedback, you can pray for the gift of openness and humility to accept,
learn, and grow from it.

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Give your learning insights about yourself by completing the sentences below

I discovered that… I believe I can…

I am happy to know that… I appreciate…

I am surprised that…

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 Now, imagine your mind has two
buttons. One is switching for negative
self-talk and the other is for positive
self-talk. If ever you catch yourself
functioning with the negative, make
an effort to switch on the positive. Try
your best to be at the positive side as
many times as you can.

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 REFLECTION
Watch and reflect on YouTube the song:
Remind Me Who l am
by Jason Gray

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