GE 1 (Activities)

Understanding Self

Subject Teacher: Rebecca P. Caponong

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 Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Module One - Understanding Self

2. Words That Describe Me

3. Your Personal Identity

4. A Portrait of Yourself

5. Setting Priorities About Values

6. Success Stories

7. Basic Psychological Needs

8. My Unique Picture Album

9. Responding to Change

10. Changes in Our Lives

11. Change and Emotions

12. Understanding Change

13. Transitions

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14. My Lifeline - Important People and Experiences

15. "What If" Discussion Groups

16. Two-Minutes Speeches

17. Feedback
 Introduction to Module One

Understanding Self

Knowing oneself is critical to being an effective team member as well as being

successful in life, work, and relationships. Your personal identity influences everything you do,

and it changes and evolves over time.

The purpose of this module is to help you deepen your understanding and appreciation

for who you are as a person. You will explore how you see yourself through the lenses of

personal identity, your skills and talents, roles, values, personal core, and how you meet your

psychological needs. You will also examine how you respond to the pressures of changes and

transitions in your life.

You will have an opportunity to examine how your personal identity has been shaped

by a variety of people and experiences. You will also have opportunities to think about and

discuss your values, interests, hopes for the future, as well as, your strengths and challenges.

You will learn about how your psychological needs are the primary source that motivates and

drives your behavior. You will also learn critical knowledge about change and how important it

is in today's workplace to be adaptive and to embrace change as a personal and professional

growth experience.
You will be invited and encouraged to take risks, to step outside your comfort zone, and to

challenge your thinking and the thinking of others. You will be engaged in reflection, partner

activities, storytelling, discussion groups, self-assessment, and giving and receiving feedback.
 Words That Describe Me

Circle the words that describes you. Add additional words.

Adaptive Self-Aware Tolerant

Dependable Intelligent Fearless

Capable with Hands

Compassionate Hard Worker

Calm Humble
Respectful

Clever
Energetic Eccentric

Thoughtful
Creative Confident

Realistic Cautious
Complex

Cooperative Shy
Balanced

Picky
Quiet Attentive

Other Words that describe you: Melancholic, self-conscious, loving, timid, and reclusive.
 Your Personal Identity

"Who Are You?"

Roles
Where have you taken on responsibilities in your life?

I have taken responsibilities on my life in a lot of things. As a student, it is my responsibility to

do well in my subjects and comply all the things needed to be done to graduate. As a son, it my
responsibility to help my mother, to be good for her, and to make her happy. As a friend, it’s my
responsibility to be always there for them when they need help. I have taken responsibilities in
my life by starting to stop complaining about anything and just be normal, starting to be more
thoughtful about my actions, and stop blaming others for my own mistakes, Simple things like
this has a great impact for me to be more focus in life and start to achieve great things.

Personal Care
How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

An individual who loves who play online games and bond with friends.

Learning
What have you learned and what are you hoping to learn?

I have learned that life is unfair and people will not treat you the same.
What I am hoping to learn is how to deal with unfair life, live with it, and know what I want to
be.
 Your Personal Identity

"Who are you?"

I come from a family of My Mother is the most important

God-fearing, loving, and person that I value. And also
compassionate ones and I am being real here,
I was raised by a money is also
Single mother important.

I hope to be a CPA working in

Patience and perseverance. a big accounting firm without
I don’t really have a talent. worrying about the
salary.

Online games and learning how to play

Piano really interests me. I love classical
music.
 A Portrait of Yourself

• The best thing(s) I ever did was (were)

Answer: Enjoying my childhood to the fullest

was the best thing I did. I just recently
realized it that ones you are an adult, you
have a responsibility to do and you can’t be
like a child that doesn’t care a thing about
the world and just be happy.

• I wish I could lose my fear of • I know I

have the talent to • I enjoy people who • I
admire • I feel most productive when • I am
motivated by • I almost never • My idea of
fun is

Answer: I wish I could lose my fear of frogs.

I have a phobia to frogs. I know I
have the talent to play the piano. I love
classical music and it relaxes my mind
when I hear a piece being played. I am
learning my favorite piece. I enjoy
people who seems to connect with me in
many things and also having a comedic
sense. I admire people who won’t
give up in one try. And I also admire people
who works hard. I feel most
productive when I am eager to learn new
things it makes me so focused. I am also
productive when I am at my comfort zone.
I am motivated by a lot of things but
particularly success. I almost never go
out in house because of social anxiety.
My idea of fun is through playing
online games since that makes me feel at
peace.
 Work is exciting when

Answer: Work is exciting when you are

motivated. Being motivated by simple
things like salary and or you have cute
workmate makes work exciting.

• The best advice I ever got was • The thing

I value most is • If money were no object, I
would

Answer: The best advice I ever got was

from my mom and that is to never lose sight
of yourself. The thing that I value the
most is money because it is so essential for
me it brings me happiness. If money
were no object, I would build a nice house
and travel the world.
• It is easy for me to focus on • My idea of a
perfect life is • My best days are • My dream

Answer: It is easy for me to focus on things

that I passionately like. My idea of
perfect life is able to afford all the things that
you want. My best days are spending
time with my mom watching movies in
cinema with just the two of us. My
dream to become a CPA one day.

• The thing my friends like about me is • I

always wanted to • I look forward to • I
spent too much time

Answer: The thing my friends like about me

is that I am funny. I always wanted to
spend time with my mom. I look
forward to achieving my dreams. I
spent too much time in my recreational
activity which is playing online games.

• When I try to change something

Answer: When I try to change something, it

makes me uncomfortable for a while since I
am not used to it.

• In a group I like to • If I ever win a prize it

will be for

Answer: In a group I like to not be

noticeable as possible since I am shy type
of person. If I ever win a prize if will be
for my mom of course.
 Setting Priorities About Values

Values are beliefs, feelings, and principles that guide a person's actions and give those actions
meaning.

Values

1. Money – Peace of mind

2. Peace of mind - Money

3. Happiness - Happiness

4. Success - Success

5. Nature – Spiritual Life

6. Spiritual Life – Physical Health

7. Friends - Friends

8. Taking on Challenges - Learning

9. Satisfaction with Work – Satisfaction with work

10. Learning - Balancing Your Life (work and play)

11. Balancing Your Life (work and play) - Nature

12. Physical Health – Taking on Challenges

 Success
Stories
Think about and write two or three of your success stories.

1. I did overcome some struggles in life and face some obstacles but nevertheless, it didn’t
stop me from reaching success and it transformed me to who I am today. I stopped schooling for
about a year because of anxiety. It was so bad, I was grade 12 that time of the year and I dropped
my subjects. Due to that, I have payables and that made it harder for me. Also due to pandemic, I
stopped for a while because I don’t really feel like learning through online.
Despite all of this, I didn’t stop myself from becoming a burden knowing that I can be
more and so I graduated SHS and I am now pursuing my college degree and hoping to graduate in
college too.

2. Broken and or separated family is one of causes that explains why an individual’s
behavior is unusual since it affects the child’s development in all domains. Other people may
behave different due to incompleteness of the family more likely because of lack of love from a
father and or a mother. Being in a separated family, I didn’t let myself down and my mom made
sure that I am not lacking any love and affection and that made me who I am today. I am not
broken.
3.

What does this say about who you are and what's important to you?

This says a lot about me since I am a pessimistic person and usually my anxiety takes over
me but I didn’t let myself get controlled over it. I am not a troubled individual. This also explains
why my mother is the most precious thing that I value. She is the only thing that is important to
me.
Share with your group "why" these success stories are important to you.

These success stories of mine might not be really as important as it should be, but it has an
effect on me in which I can find a reason to fight and trust myself. I am not letting myself down
well maybe sometimes but I am still living my life with wellness and peace that do things that
doesn’t ruin my mental health.
 Basic Psychological Needs

Belonging Recognition

A sense that someone truly A sense that you are

cares about you. That you acknowledged for what you
are in a mutual and loving accomplish and who you are.
relationship with another To feel significant, that you
person. make an impact.
Family Bonding Gifts,
presents, and or rewards.

Freedom Self-Esteem

The need to have choice in your The need to feel competent

life, to have a sense of control & confident. The sense that
over the decisions that direct you can achieve results,
your behavior. To be free from a make good decisions, and
sense of external control. you will stand by your
principles.

Doing the things that I like and not according to

Being appreciated helps to improve self-esteem
Someone’s opinion.

Fun Safety

The need to have joy and The need to feel physically and
laughter in your life. The sense psychologically safe. Free from
that we can experience elation emotional and physical threats
and light heartedness. or harm.

My recreational activities help me to

have fun and relaxation. A place where I can call home.
Think about the people, places, and experiences in your life that are very special to you. This is
where you get your psychological needs met. Write two examples in each box of how you meet this
particular need.

Belonging – Bonding with family and bonding with Recognition – Receiving gifts and achieving
friends gives me a sense of purpose and meaning. rewards gives me a sense of value.

Self-Esteem – Feeling myself and posting a picture Safety – A place where I can call home is where I
of myself gives me confidence. am safe and also in the hands of my mother.

Freedom – Able to express myself freely and Fun – Playing my favorite online game which is my
making my own decision drives me to pursue recreational activity makes me happy and also
happiness. listening to music.
 Responding to Change

❖ How do you feel about change? When you are being asked to change, mark where you fall
on the continuum between the descriptions.

bad good
excited
annoyed
depressed
enthused
anxious
calm
tired
energized
interested
disinterested
discouraged
optimistic
challenged
overwhelmed

❖ Do you typically embrace or resist change?

Change is inevitable weather it is bad or good because it is the

only constant in this world. I actually embrace change even though I am not the
type of person to change often since it helps people realized and helps them to
improve themselves. If we accept change, it is a lot easier to cope up in this
changing world. It allows us to act and adapt better. A lot of people hate change
because I think they are too passive and they cannot keep pace with change but
actually it is what makes us a better individual. From childhood to adulthood, we
respond to different scenarios in our life distinctively depending on who we were
back then. I remember when I am hurt emotionally, i tend to be angrier at myself
but now, I just act calmly and respond to it professionally. Change is important
for our personal development but then again weather it is bad or good, change
will always teach us something new that we can always learn on.
 Changes in Our Lives

Think about an important change you made in your life.

1. Describe the change. One of the biggest change that I experienced was moving from a
different place. It takes courage especially for me to respond to people whom I am not familiar
with. Moving from one place to another means you are leaving behind your comfort zone and
find a new one which is in fact, not an easy thing to do especially for an individual like me. It’s
hard but you will eventually learn to embrace it from time to time and that is a development
for me. Adulthood change also has a great effect on me since I always have this kind of
mindset that I can do this I can do that but when I am in this stage, I realized it is not easy to
pursue what you like and or get what you like, and what you want to achieve takes hard work.

2. What were you thinking going through the change?

3. How were you feeling before, during, and after you made the change?
 Change and Emotions

1. Why is change hard for most people?

2. Why is change easier for some people?

3. What strong emotions do people feel when they are asked to change?
 Understanding Change

The two most important reasons why people find it difficult to change are loss and fear.

Loss of Fear of

• Control • The Unknown

• Confidence • Failure

• Identity • Embarrassment

• Power/Status • New Responsibilities

• Relationships • New People

• Hope • Negative Consequences

Talk about some personal examples with participants in your small group.

Loss Fear
 Transitions
The psychological process people experience when going through change.
Ending Neutral Zone Beginning

• loss of identity •experience uncertainty •

beginning to realize new possibilities

• letting go the old ways and habits •in-between stage

• outlook changes
• resistance can set in •confidence can drop

• feeling of starting a new chapter

• experience the grieving process •old doubts arise in your life
o denial
o anger •feeling uncomfortable • hopefulness

o bargaining o depression
•anxiety and worry is normal • confidence rises
o acceptance

•confusing state ... you let go the • see and experience success with
• lose or let go old attitudes, values, old way, but you are not yet the change
and behaviors experiencing the new way

Bridges, W., (1991). Managing

Transitions. W. Bridges &
Associates.

"It's not so much that we're afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it's that place in between that
we fear. There's nothing to hold onto." Marilyn Ferguson

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 My Lifeline - Important People and Experiences

Who are the important people that have helped shape who you are today?

Birth 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40+

What are the important life experiences that changed you in some way? What

have you taken forward into your life (attitudes, behaviors, beliefs)?

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 "What If" Discussion Groups

What would you do and why?

• What if you won a million dollars? What would you do with the windfall?

• What if you could travel to any place in the world? Where would you go, why would you go
there, and who would you invite along?

• What If you were granted three wishes? What would you wish for?

• What if you had the power to give yourself a special ability? What talent or ability would you
give yourself and why?

• What if you had the chance to spend a day with anyone in the world? Who would you choose
and why?

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 Two-Minute Speeches

Prepare a two-minute speech about yourself describing the essence of your personal identity, "Who
are you?" You can choose to share a personal story or an interesting experience. You can talk about
your family and career, or your goals and dreams.

Presentation Notes

Debriefing Questions

• What was your experience going through this exercise?

• How was this difficult for you?

• What were you thinking (self-talk) before and during this speech?

• What were you feeling before you told your story?

• What is it you want us to see in you by telling this story?

Feedback
A gift or strength I see in you Something I am curious about