Understanding Self
This article provides a starting point for you as you begin your journey in search of a new direction for your life or your career. It sets the tone for all of the actions to follow. It reminds us that a healthy understanding of our past life patterns is a prerequisite to an effective transition into the future. While it does not suggest we dwell in the past, it does encourage us to look carefully at past situations to determine which situations have resulted in the greatest gains and which have resulted in less than positive outcomes. It helps us identify which of our actions should be repeated and which should be avoided in the future.
You will be invited to participate in a series of games, assessments, and self-discussions designed to stimulate your personal introspection, encourage examination of life patterns, 
examine causes for failure, and project the actions needed to ensure future success.
EXPLORING SELF-AWARENESS is meant to lay a foundation for you to become aware of the way you have made up your mind about yourself. This exploration into self-image, self-concept, and self-esteem can, then, open the doors for you to upgrade your respective ideas about who you are and what you can accomplish.
The goal is to establish a way for you to upgrade and update a self-evaluation. We can stop the pain of our own attacks upon ourselves. We can begin to nurture the positive skills and attitudes that are within each of us. We can begin to feel worthy and capable just by the way 
we view ourselves. We can be a hero to ourselves, a big person capable of big things.
We begin this part of our Life Skills Adventure in the past because so much of who we are today is shaped by what has happened to us in the past. We have learned how to act, what to believe, and how to feel. For the most part, our experiences have helped us become good, healthy, and happy people; however, there are troubling bits and pieces from our past that might get in the way of allowing us to be who we truly want to become.
As we go forward, we will recognize the value of the past and recognize the value of other people who have influenced the shaping of our personalities. We will also explore the parts of our past that have hurt us, and we will use this opportunity to heal old wounds. We will think about the world and family we grew up in and how our families helped or hurt us. We will see how we modeled ourselves in the image of our parents and how we have formed our self-image from what they said about us.
We will then see how we have protected ourselves from the hurts of our past. We will come to recognize how our current problems, fears, and limitations are still tied to past experiences. Though this may bring some painful memories, our goal is to use this exploration to heal and remove the limiting influence of the past.
After thinking about the following paragraphs, examine the information about your past. Sharing this information about yourself is encouraged and it could prove to be helpful.
“Where do you come from?”
You are invited to share your background, how you grew up, some of the things for which you are grateful, and some of the parts of your past you feel might have had some negative effect on you. Share with someone you trust – take enough time to share about some of what was most important to you. While you are sharing, the person you trust, in many ways, may know and understand what you have gone through. Many people feel uncomfortable about sharing their past. They carry shame, embarrassment, and fear into the present. If this is difficult for you, you may want to write a story of your past.
It is helpful to remember that now is the present. Whatever happened does not have to keep upsetting you. Now is the time for you to begin to write a NEW story. So, once you get the story of the past out, you can get to work on a new chapter.
Let’s continue this discussion in our next issue, please join me. △
never know what you’re going to find or find out while you’re there. You might hear about a job possibility from someone at the center. You may get referred to a job by someone on staff. Either way, having a writing tablet or pad to to write down needed information is invaluable. Come dressed as you would for an interview! Not only does this save gas, it makes you prepared to do spot interviews. You don’t have to run back to the house to get ready. This can earn you points or advantages because you come to the workforce center prepared to meet an employer!
you can attend throughout the year. Maybe there’s a course on Leadership. Do you need to update your resume? Maybe you just want a little help with interviewing? These classes not only deliver an inexpensive (read free) resource on upping your skills set, but they can also allow you to meet new people that may be in the field you’re seeking. Which brings us to…
Some people are frightened or stressful about how they are going to feed their families. They don’t know how to use the system, someone has asked them the same question 800 times, or someone could just be having a bad day. If there was ever a time to kill someone with kindness, now would be the time! By staying polite, you not only get more things handled quicker, but most people would be grateful for a moment of peace that you are providing. If they feel that you are harassing them, most people will shut down. Your mission, and you do want to accept it, is to get what you need with a smile and skip out the door with everything you came to get, and being polite is your golden ticket to the working person’s paradise!
cure! If you’re in an unfamiliar setting, take the time to look around and see where everything is located. Is the area well kept? Are there a lot of dark spaces or large objects? Is there a fire exit plan? Taking the time to peruse your area allows you to identify trouble spots or places that you could run to if you needed to get away in a hurry. Forcing yourself to be aware will not only keep you safe, it’ll make you more efficient. After all, who doesn’t need to know where the break room is?
3- day weekend. You hurdle over small children to get to the elevator. Those two old ladies you pushed over on your way down the stairs are now glaring up at you from the third step where you left them. You go through all of this trouble just to sit in your car and check out your phone. Checking your email, applying makeup, checking items off your PDA are all things that take your attention off your surroundings and leave you vulnerable to attacks. Three out of every ten carjackings happen while the driver in question is sitting in their car distracted. Just be aware!
in the car on the seat now suddenly spread out over the back? Is there a suspicious shadow near the front of the car? Is there a suspicious van parked on the passenger side of your vehicle? These are all red alerts that something about the situation is off. If it’s late, do you have Security walk you to your vehicle? Never feel that you are bothering someone by asking them to walk you to your car. Think about how they would feel if you didn’t ask for help and something happened to you. Be accepting of help!
place is located in an area that has had some trouble, then, stopping to give the little overall-clad street urchin $5 because he lost his dog can be a recipe for problems. You could get mugged. Does everyone have to know that every Thursday you are at Pattie’s Nail Heaven getting a manicure done at 3:00 o’clock? You and your new nails could be snatched up. Is someone asking you, “What time is it?” If you are confident that the person asking is genuine, then, there is no harm in helping, but if you have to go into your purse or pocket to dig for your phone, then just say no. It’s a distraction you might not walk away from unscathed. Just be careful!
you’re Austin Powers. By taking a defense course, it will make you aware that you are not helpless if a situation arises. They will tell you what’s safe for you to legally carry. They explain ways of getting out of an attacker’s grip to get somewhere to call the police. They take you through steps to keep from panicking. Remember the best defense is a good offense. By going through the steps, it puts it in your muscle memory and your body will take over in a crisis helping to get you out of a bad situation, again emphasis on getting you out of a situation and calling for the police.
work. But with just a little awareness, you can keep yourself safe, and keep your family from being hurt if something happens. Criminals are not going to take on someone they feel will be a problem. If you don’t make yourself a mark you are less likely to become one! And if you don’t make it easy for a criminal by being compliant and doing everything they ask, they won’t take the time to carry out their dirty deeds. Beware! △
cumbersome, but they can also be challenging. Put your best foot forward and let’s start this journey with some of the most important things you need to do to create a better life for you and your family.
whatever is in your mind. Fill your mind with thoughts that are positive, confident, fulfilling and absolutely winning. The mind can do some pretty miraculous things. It can take you to new heights that you may not have thought possible. Believe in yourself and others will do the same.
Don’t give up if you don’t find what you are looking for right away. Be prepared to give yourself a little time. Be prepared to stair-step your way to that ideal job. Know that you have the stamina to keep going and keep looking and keep asking. This is the time to turn to everyone you know and ask them if they know of any employment that is suited for you.
