Unit 1: Self-Development Being self-aware, making the most of your strengths,

Module 1: Knowing and Understanding Oneself during learning new skills and techniques and behavioral
Middle and Late Adolescence flexibility are all keys to improving your personal
performance.
Self-concept - refers to your awareness of yourself.
Our personal effectiveness depends on our innate
There are two broad categories of Self-Concept: characteristics – talent and experience accumulated in the
1. Actual self - it is who we actually are. It is how we process of personal development.
think, how we feel, look, and act.
The actual self can be seen by others, but because we Talents first are needed to be identified and then
have no way of truly knowing how others view us, the developed to be used in a particular subject area (science,
actual self is our self-image. literature, sports, politics, etc.).
Experience includes knowledge and skills that we
Self-knowledge - is derived from social interactions acquire in the process of cognitive and practical
that provide insight into how others react to you. activities.
Actual self is built on this. Knowledge is required for setting goals, defining an action
plan to achieve them and risk assessment.
2. Ideal self - is the self that you aspire to be. It could Skills also determine whether real actions are performed
include components of what our parents have taught in accordance with the plan.
us, what we admire in others, what our society If the same ability is used many times in the same
promotes, and what we think is in our best interest. situation, then it becomes a habit that runs automatically,
subconsciously.
There is negotiation that exists between the two selves
which is complex because there are numerous Here are some skills that will greatly increase the
exchanges between the ideal and actual self. These efficiency of any person who owns them:
exchanges are exemplified in social roles that are 1. Determination - it allows you to focus only on achieving
adjusted and re-adjusted, and are derived from a specific goal without being distracted by less important
outcomes of social interactions from infant to adult things or spontaneous desires. It may be developed with
development. Alignment is very important. the help of self-discipline exercise.
If the way that I am (the actual self) is aligned with the 2. Self-confidence - it appears in the process of personal
way that I want to be (the ideal self), then I will feel a development, as a result of getting aware of yourself, your
sense of mental-being or peace of mind. actions and their consequences. Self-confidence is
If the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to manifested in speech, appearance, dressing, gait, and
be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment, will result in physical condition. To develop it, you need to learn
mental distress or anxiety. yourself and your capabilities, gain positive attitude and
The greater the level of incongruence between the believe that by performing right actions and achieving
ideal self and real self, the greater the level of resulting right goals you will certainly reach success.
distress. 3. Persistence - it makes you keep moving forward
regardless of emerging obstacles – problems, laziness, bad
Personal development modules ultimate aim is greater emotional state, etc. It reduces the costs of overcoming
self-knowledge that will lead to higher alignment obstacles. It can also be developed with the help of self-
between these two personality domains. discipline exercise.
4. Managing stress - it helps combat stress that arises in
Personal Effectiveness - means making use of all the daily life from the environment and other people. Stress
personal resources – talents, skills, energy and time, to arises from the uncertainty in an unknown situation when
enable you to achieve life goals. a lack of information creates the risk of negative
Your knowledge of yourself and how you manage consequences of your actions. It increases efficiency in the
yourself impacts directly on your personal actively changing environment.
effectiveness.
5. Problem-solving skills - they help cope with the The Power of Journal Writing: Unfolding Your
problems encountered with a lack of experience. It Personal Journey
increases efficiency by adopting new ways of achieving The purpose of journal writing is to help you
goals when obtaining a new experience. become the Scriptwriter of your life.
6. Creativity - it allows you to find extraordinary ways to
carry out a specific action that no one has tried to use. 4 Practical Reasons to Maintain a Journal
7. Generating ideas. - it helps you achieve goals using 1. It is cost-efficient and available. Emotional stress
new, original, unconventional ideas. Idea is a mental can be dealt in many ways like talking to a friend
image of an object formed by the human mind, which can over a cup of coffee, eating, travelling, shopping,
be changed before being implemented in the real world. painting and many more but writing is the most
inexpensive. Notebook and pens are easy to find,
Build on Your Strength and Work on Your Weaknesses available and do not cost so much.
Most failures emanate from weaknesses that are not 2. It is preventive and pro-active. Writing yields
recognized or probably recognized but not given self-awareness. When you write, you can discover
appropriate attention or remedy. This could be a your strengths and limitations. You will know what
weakness in communications, personality or ability. your reactions are in different situations and what
Instead of giving up or indulging in self-pity, take action. better ways to prevent, avoid, or face your fears.
Instead of simply focusing on your weaknesses, recognize 3. It is creative and productive. Journal writing
your own talents and abilities, build on them, utilize them expounds your imagination. You can see various
to your greatest advantage. dimensions of your problem, different points of
view and better solutions.
You Need to Take Charge of Your Future 4. It is personal and private. Unless you want to
by: Bo. Sanchez share your stories, you have the choice to keep
There are three kinds of people in this world: them to yourself. Writing is your time alone. It is
1. Moviegoer- this person watches the movie of their your way of loving yourself. You will not be judged
lives, admires some parts and criticizes others. by your writing.
Aside from that, they do nothing else.
The Moviegoer feels she has absolutely no control
of their lives --- except to comment about it. You may use these questions as you write in your
Moviegoers are the most pathetic, miserable journal:
people in the world. 1. How do you find this day? What are the positive
2. Actor- this person does not only watch the movie of things that happened? What are those things that
her life. She actually realizes she’s the Actor – and made you irritated or upset?
can control a big part of her life. She can actually 2. As you reflect the ups and downs of your day,
make or break the movie – by how well she delivers what may be the greatest lesson you can learn from
her lines and how she portrays her character. them? What actions have you done well and what
Actors are a happy bunch, realizing they’re the start actions you can do better?
of the show and enjoy some level of control. But 3. What do you really want in life? What do you
many times, they wish the movie would end in want to achieve for yourself, your family, your
another way – but realize that they have no say in community, and your country?
such things. 4. As you close the day, what are the small and big
3. Scriptwriter- this person does not only watch, and things you are thankful of? Who are the people that
she doesn’t only act, but she actually creates the made your day extra special?
entire movie from her mind. She determines what
she will say, what she will do, and how the movie
will end.
She realizes she has enormous control over her life,
and sees to it that the movie of her life will turn out
beautiful.
 Module 2: Developing the Whole Person In a nutshell, an individual is composed of three
basic but very different aspects of the self.
Asses Aspect of Your Development:
1. Physical or Tangible Aspects as they relate to
1. Physical Self. Describe yourself. Try not to censor any the Body. Many individuals put a strong emphasis on
thoughts which come to your mind. Include the physical aspect of the self. The body is tangible,
descriptions of your height, weight, facial appearance, obvious, and we respond to it easily. More time and
and quality of skin, hair and descriptions of body areas money is spent on enhancing the physical component
such as your neck, chest, waist, legs. than either of the other two aspects. This does not
2. Intellectual Self. Include here an assessment of how mean, however, that the body is healthy or strong. The
well you reason and solve problems, your capacity to body provides a place to house the spirit (often
learn and create, your general amount of knowledge, experienced as feelings) and the mind (often
your specific areas of knowledge, wisdom you have experienced as thought).
acquired, and insights you have. 2. Intellectual and Conscious Aspects as they
3. Emotional Self. Write as many words or phrase about relate to the Mind. It may be important to some that
typical feelings you have, feelings you seldom have, their mind be prominent and well educated. The mind
feelings you try to avoid, feelings you especially enjoy, is important, as it is the part of the self that directs the
feelings from your past and present, and feelings which other two aspects. The mind learns what to do and
are associated with each other. communicates the information to the body and the
4. Sensual Self. Write how you feel as a sensual person. feelings. What the mind believes, the body manifests or
What sense do you use most – sight, hearing, speaking, acts on, and the emotions feel, or respond with. People
smelling, touching? How do you feel about the store both healthy and destructive thoughts and beliefs
different ways you take in information - through the and responds to life's circumstances in the most
eyes, ears, mouth, nose, pores, and skin. In what ways prominent manner. The mind provides access creativity
do you let information in and out of your body? and serenity which are necessary for such processes as
5. Interactional Self. Include descriptions of your prayer, forgiveness, acceptance, and passion.
strengths and weaknesses in intimate relationships and 3. Emotional and Intuitive Aspects as they relate
relationships to friends, family, co-students and to the Spirit. The human emotions are the most feared
strangers in social settings. Describe the strengths and aspect of the self, as individuals are reluctant and
weaknesses which your friends and family have noticed. unprepared to manage them.
Describe what kind of son or daughter, brother or sister
you are. All three aspects of the self work together in perfect
6. Nutritional Self. How do you nourish yourself? What harmony when attention is paid to all three
foods do you like and dislike? What do you like and simultaneously.
dislike about these?
7. Contextual Self. Descriptors could be in the areas of A REAL WINNER is one who is able to:
maintenance of your living environment: reaction to
light, temperature, space, weather, colors, sound and -Win over his/her battles and difficulties in life and turns
seasons and your impact on the environment. them into a learning and glorifying experience;
8. Spiritual Self or Life Force. Write words or phrases -Find meaning in pleasant and unpleasant events in his
which tell about how you feel in this area. This could life;
include your feelings about yourself and organized -Live in peace with difficult people and difficult
religion, reactions about your spiritual connections to situations;
others, feelings about your spiritual development and -Win the goodwill of others, their respect and
history, and thought about your metaphysical self. admiration;
Think about your inner peace and joy. Think about your -Get what he wants using win-win strategies; never at
spiritual regimen or routine. the expense of others;
-Discover and use opportunities to his best advantage;
-Develop and use his talents and abilities to the best
advantage and in so doing, make meaningful
contribution in making this world a better place to live
in.
Module 3: Developmental Stages in Middle and
Late Adolescence

DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
STAGE
1.PRE-NATAL Age when hereditary
(CONCEPTION TO endowments and sex are
BIRTH) fixed and all body features,
both external and internal
are developed.
2. INFANCY Foundation age when basic
(BIRTH TO 2 behavior are organized and
YEARS) many ontogenetic maturation
skills are developed.

3. EARLY Pre-gang age, exploratory,

CHILDHOOD and questioning. Language
(2 TO 6 YEARS) and Elementary reasoning
are acquired and initial
socialization is experienced.
4. LATE Gang and creativity age
CHILDHOOD when self-help skills, social
(6 TO 12 YERS) skills, school skills, and play
are developed.
5. ADOLESCENCE Transition age from
(PUBERTY TO 18 childhood to adulthood
YEARS) when sex maturation and
rapid physical development
occur resulting to changes
in ways of feeling, thinking
and acting.
6. EARLY Age of adjustment to new
ADULTHOOD patterns of life and roles
(18 TO 40 YEARS) such as spouse, parent and
bread winner.
7. MIDDLE AGE Transition age when
(40 YEARS TO adjustments to initial
RETIREMENT) physical and mental decline
are experienced.
8. OLD AGE Retirement age when
(RETIREMENT TO increasingly rapid physical
DEATH) and mental decline are
experienced.
 The Developmental Task - Developing adult leisure time activities
Robert J. Havighurst proposed a bio psychosocial - Relating to one’s spouse as a person
model of development, wherein the developmental - Accepting the physiological changes of middle age
tasks at each stage are influenced by the - Adjusting to aging parent
individual’s biology (physiological maturation and 6. Later Maturity (61+)
- Adjusting to decreasing strength and health
genetic makeup), his psychology (personal values
- Adjusting to retirement and reduced income
and goals) and sociology (specific culture to which
- Adjusting to death of spouse
the individual belongs) - Establishing relations with one’s own age group
- Meeting social and civic obligations
1. Infancy and Early Childhood (0-5) - Establishing satisfactory living quarters
- Learning to walk
- Learning to take solid foods LIVING MINDFULLY
- Learning to talk Living mindfully is like being an artist: you need the
- Learning to control the elimination of body wastes right tools to practice your craft, and you need to
- Learning sex differences and sexual modesty constantly refine your technique to achieve your
- Acquiring concepts and language to describe social creative potential. In the same way, using the present
and physical reality moment tools below will help you to hone a
- Readiness for reading consistent mindfulness practice that will in time lead
- Learning to distinguish right from wrong and to a more aware, compassionate and fulfilling way of
developing a conscience life.
2. Middle Childhood (6-12)
- Learning physical skills necessary for ordinary games Tool 1: Breathe Mindfully. Use your breath as an
- Building a wholesome attitude toward oneself anchor to still your mind and bring your focus back to
- Learning to get along with age-mates the present moment.
- Developing fundamental skills in reading, writing and Tool 2: Listen Deeply. Listen with intention; let others
calculating fully express themselves and focus on understanding
- Developing concepts necessary for everyday living how they think and feel.
- Developing conscience, morality, and a scale of values Tool 3: Cultivate Insight. See life as it is, allowing
- Developing acceptable attitudes toward society each experience to be an opportunity for learning.
3. Adolescence (13-18) Tool 4: Practice Compassion. Consider the thoughts
- Achieving mature relations with both sexes and feelings of others and let tenderness, kindness
- Achieving a masculine or feminine social role and empathy be your guides.
- Accepting one’s physique Tool 5: Limit Reactivity. Observe rather than be
- Achieving emotional independence of adults controlled by your emotions. Pause, breathe, and
- Preparing for marriage and family life choose a skillful response based on thoughtful speech
- Preparing for an economic career and nonviolence under every condition.
- Acquiring values and an ethical system to guide Tool 6: Express Gratitude. Practice gratitude daily
behavior and expand it outward, appreciating everyone and
- Desiring and achieving social responsibility behavior everything you encounter.
4. Early Adulthood (19-30) Tool 7: Nurture Mutual Respect. Appreciate our
- Selecting a mate common humanity and value different perspectives as
- Learning to live with a partner well as your own.
- Starting a family Tool 8: Build Integrity. Cultivate constructive values
- Rearing children and consistently act from respect, honesty and
- Managing a home kindness.
- Starting an occupation Tool 9: Foster Leadership. Engage fully in life and in
- Assuming civic responsibility community. Share your unique talents and generosity
5. Middle Adulthood (30-60) so that others can also be inspired.
- Helping teenage children to become happy and Tool 10: Be Peace. Cultivate your own inner peace,
responsible adults becoming an agent for compassionate action and
- Achieving adult social and civic responsibility social good.
- Satisfactory career achievement
 Module 4: THE PASSAGE TO ADULTHOOD: Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness,
CHALLENGES OF LATE ADOLESCENCE hope in one’s battles, security at the stage of fear, love
in disagreements.
Physical Development Being happy is not only to treasure the smile,
-Most girls have completed the physical changes related but that you also reflect on the sadness. It is not just
to puberty by age 15. commemorating the event, but also learning lessons in
-Boys are still maturing and gaining strength, muscle failures. It is not just having joy with the applause, but
mass, and height and are completing the development also having joy in anonymity.
of sexual traits. Being happy is to recognize that it is
worthwhile to live, despite all the challenges,
Emotional Development misunderstandings and times of crises.
-May stress over school and test scores. Being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory
-Is self-involved (may have high expectations and low for those who can travel towards it with your own
self-concept). being.
-Seeks privacy and time alone. Being happy is to stop being a victim of
-Is concerned about physical and sexual attractiveness. problems but become an actor in history itself. It is not
-May complain that parents prevent him or her from only to cross the deserts outside of ourselves, but still
doing things independently. more, to be able to find an oasis in the recesses of our
-Starts to want both physical and emotional intimacy in soul. It is to thank God every morning for the miracle of
relationships. life.
-The experience of intimate partnerships Being happy is not being afraid of one's feelings.
It is to know how to talk about ourselves. It is to bear
Social Development with courage when hearing a "no". It is to have the
-Shifts in relationship with parents from dependency security to receive criticism, even if is unfair. It is to kiss
and subordination to one that reflects the adolescent’s the children, pamper the parents, have poetic moments
increasing maturity and responsibilities in the family with friends, even if they have hurt us.
and the community, Being happy means allowing the free, happy
-Is more and more aware of social behaviors of friends. and simple child inside each of us to live; having the
-Seeks friends that share the same beliefs, values, and maturity to say, "I was wrong"; having the audacity to
interests. say, "forgive me". It is to have sensitivity in expressing,
-Friends become more important. "I need you"; to have the ability of saying, "I love you."
-Starts to have more intellectual interests. So that your life becomes a garden full of opportunities
-Explores romantic and sexual behaviors with others. for being happy...
-May be influenced by peers to try risky behaviors In your spring-time, may you become a lover of
(alcohol, tobacco, sex). joy. In your winter, may you become a friend of
wisdom. And when you go wrong along the way, you
Mental Development start all over again. Thus you will be more passionate
-Becomes better able to set goals and think in terms of about life. And you will find that happiness is not about
the future. having a perfect life but about using tears to water
-Has a better understanding of complex problems and tolerance, losses to refine patience, failures to carve
issues. serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure, obstacles to open
-Starts to develop moral ideals and to select role the windows of intelligence.
models. Never give up ... Never give up on the people
you love. Never give up from being happy because life is
BEING HAPPY an incredible show. And you are a special human being!
You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live
irritated, but do not forget that your life is the greatest
enterprise in the world. Only you can prevent it from
going into decadence. There are many that need you,
admire you and love you. I would like to remind you
that being happy is not having a sky without storms, or
roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or
relationships without disappointments.