Chapter One – Personal Growth Mr. Marquis Child Development Chapter One – Personal Growth Mr. Marquis

Be Your Best You have left childhood behind and are well on your way to independent living. Now it is time to think about your adult life and what you hope to accomplish. The choices you make will either positively or negatively affect your life, both now and in the future. Your journey through life begins with an understanding of who you are right now. You can build on this understanding and make a plan to become the kind of person you want to be.

Your Personality Your personality is the combination of characteristics that makes you unique. At this stage in your life you may be or have already experienced the physical and emotional changes that come with adolescence. As you get older, you may find yourself becoming more introspective, looking closely at your own thoughts, feelings and motives.

Your Personality There are four main categories of personality characteristics: Emotional Every person feels the same basic emotions, happiness, fear, love, anger – yet each responds in their own unique way Social In society, people meet, interact and relate to other people. Some people prefer the company of others, while some prefer being alone. Intellectual As you gain experience and knowledge, you learn to solve more complex problems. Using your mind rather than your emotions to solve a problem is a sign of intellectual maturity. Moral

Your Personality Moral Morality is a sense of right and wrong that guides decisions and actions. Morality is based on values. A value is an accepted principle or standard held by a person or a group. Values guide you through life and help you make decisions Teens who develop a reliable moral compass are more likely to make positive decisions.

Your Choices As a young adult you will make more and more decisions that deal with issues of right and wrong behavior Although you may want to do what is right, sometimes it is not clear how you should act For example, telling the truth and treating people fairly are commonly accepted standards of moral behavior Lying and cheating are not

Self-Concept and Self-Esteem Self-Concept is the way you see yourself and the way you believe others see you It is based on your perception of your strengths and weaknesses, skills, talents and other qualities that make up your unique personality When you have a positive self-concept, you like and accept yourself the way you are Your self-concept is influenced by experiences you have and what you and other people say about. Negative and positive comments help shape your self-concept

Self-Concept and Self-Esteem Your self-concept is directly related to your self-esteem Self-esteem is the value or importance you place on yourself Self-esteem reflects how you feel about the picture you have of yourself in your mind People who have a positive self-concept have high self-esteem. People who dislike the picture of themselves struggle with low self-esteem. Self-esteem matters because it has a strong influence on your behavior and your well-being

Self-Concept and Self-Esteem High self-esteem generally leads to more responsible behavior It also gives you a positive outlook and enables you to make the best of your life “Optimism – A positive attitude can make the difference between giving up and achieving success. Count your blessings – not your misfortunes. Focus on the positive for a brighter outlook.”

Thinking Map Time! Create a bubble map in your notes In the center circle, write “Boost Your Self-Esteem” For each of the six steps listed below, add an example from your own life Learn to accept praise Focus on your strengths Learn from your mistakes Accept yourself as you are Use your strengths to help others Take responsibility for your own life

Realize Your Potential Potential is the capacity to develop, succeed or become something more than you are right now Suggestions for maximizing your potential: Set priorities Consider interests and activities Develop supportive friendships Avoid procrastination – the tendency to put off doing something until later Be health-smart Practice abstinence – the deliberate decision to avoid high-risk behaviors including sexual activity, tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Personal Growth and Maturity Personal growth is learning and practicing new skills as you progress towards reaching your full potential Growth is a life-long process. You are never too old or too mature change and learn The desire to reach adulthood is a normal and important goal. But the real goal is to reach maturity. Maturity means reaching full-development – physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually and morally.

Make Positive Changes Some of life’s changes are quick and easy However, many changes are gradual, or taken one step at a time Change can involve difficult or simple things (like organizing your room or moving away from your friends and family for a job) The ability to make changes and adapt to change is an essential life skill

Barriers to Change Trying to make a positive change is not always easy. Barriers to change include Thinking you have to do it all by yourself Forgetting that change takes time Procrastinating In order to help overcome these barriers Make a plan for change Set goals Be accountable or responsible for your own actions and attitudes Identify a change you would like to make and a barrier that is prohibiting this change

Developing Competence Competence is having the qualities and skills needed to perform a task or participate fully in an activity. There are degrees of competence If you want to make a change, you need to develop or improve your competence in a related area Once you have a committed to change, brainstorm ways to improve your competence – school, books, magazines, websites are all resources that can help you.

Gaining Confidence Confidence means you believe in yourself and your abilities Common characteristics of confident people are: Self-assurance Self-control Willingness to take risks Positive Self-Concept and High Self-Esteem Confidence grows each time you succeed Your increased confidence makes you more willing to work toward building your competencies.

Learning from Disappointment “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.” “I’ve lost almost 300 games.” Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.” “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan

Meeting Life’s Challenges Change is a part of life Some changes are expected, like moving out Some changes are unexpected, like the sudden loss of a job These changes create challenges Everyone faces challenges, some more serious than others Disabilities, poverty, discrimination are all types of serious challenges people face They may seem impossible to overcome, but there are examples everyday of people who conquer them

Challenges of Teen Years Changes that occur during adolescence can make any teen feel insecure One teen struggles to fit in at school, another is uncomfortable with their changing body, and yet another is sensitive about what people say about them Every adult you know was a teen once and although it may seem like it at times, you are not alone There are steps you can take to make things easier and better cope with the ups and downs of adolescence

Coping With Changes Look ahead Think Positively Take advantage of new abilities Get help when you need it Participate in physical activities Eat the right foods Volunteer in your community Look for ways to make new friends

Positive Attitude and Sources of Support Some people develop qualities that help them prepare to meet life’s challenges head on. They are able to adapt and make the necessary changes Resiliency is the ability to recover from or adjust to misfortune Perseverance is sticking to an action or belief, even when it is difficult Family, friends, religious leaders, school counselors and teachers are all possible sources of support Do not be afraid to ask for help

“grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”