Chapter Fourteen

This chapter was kind of funny to me as I feel it touched on a lot of things that have been occurring to me recently. I found it ironic that one of the first things that this chapter talked about was reading self-help books in trying to keep on this journey and being an excellent way to explore life. I think I even stated in one of the earlier blog entries that I felt this entire book was a self-help book. I also think that these same concepts apply to writing journals as I have gained insight on my life three times from writing journals since I have been in this program; once from this course and twice from the Theory & Practice courses. I would say that the journaling process has been a huge tool in becoming a better acclimated person since entering the program.

                I feel that we finished the text just in time as this is a reflective chapter that consolidates many of the goals in trying to find your way into this adolescent or emerging adulthood period in life. I remarked in earlier entries that I haven’t had too many tough issues but I have just recently (yesterday) experienced my first turmoil in life as I lost my job. I think that I can definitely take aspects of the book and use them in order to grow from this experience. I remarked all semester how I could quasi-relate to these aspects in my current stage but now I actually have something to apply them to. Right after I typed the previous 2 statements after reading about them I the text I read page 412 which talked about seeking counseling for various issues such as stress/anxiety, situational problems, and educational/vocational concerns. Clearly these 3 aspects apply right now. Before I would not have talked about it but I think that as the situation has grown I’ve become able to trust not only the professors but the students in my cohort as well. I feel that even though it’s the last week of classes for this semester I very much will talk to some of them this week to seek comfort in this process.

                The entire aspect about dreams was somewhat interesting to me. For the most part I don’t dream. However, when I do they’re usually weird, cryptic yet at the same time vivid. I’ve found that a lot of these dreams are either a.) related to something going on in my life or b.) incredible epics that would be tremendous Hollywood blockbusters. I’ve often thought about writing them down in a journal so I can cash in, lol, on the latter, however, I never actually get a chance. My situation was very close to Gerald’s situation. However, I don’t really think I’d put any serious thoughts into recording my dreams as some form of introspective activity.

Corey, G. & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Exploration in personal growth (9th

                   Edition). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole