Reference no: EM133833857

Assignment: Journal Entry

Part I: Mid-Point Reflection on Personal Well-Being

Pause and think about the activities you completed for journal entries #1 through #3. Briefly discuss any observations you have about your subjective well-being in relation to these activities. Have you noticed an increase in well-being? Has your well-being lessened? Or, perhaps you haven't observed any changes to your well-being. Explain the "why" being your increase/decrease/no change using specific examples. There is no wrong answer here!! Be non-judgmental toward your observations. Then find and describe ONE* feasible PP practice that you will strive to continue over the next few weeks, as you believe it will be effective in increasing--or maintaining--your well-being.

You can choose more than one practice if you wish to combine PP practices. There are pros and cons: (i) Pros--you may experience a greater impact on well-being; you are less likely to get bored; (ii) Cons--it's more difficult to determine which practice is having the most impact on your well-being; it may be more difficult to implement the PP practice faithfully when you start combining practices.

Part II: Compassion, Empathy & Forgiveness

Previous students often comment on this activity as being extremely meaningful and a highlight of the class!

According to Diener and Seligman (2002), our relationships with others are among the best predictors of happiness. Humans are social animals, and our capacity to love and be loved is one of the most important aspects of our being. The downside to developing close relationships is that it opens us up to being hurt by those we care about most, and often this hurt stays with us for a long time.

In this experiential activity you will engage in a forgiveness intervention based on empathy and compassion. Choose one specific act (specific time, place, and action) committed by someone close to you for which you still harbor hurt, anger, or resentment. In other words, an act that, when you think about it, continues to bother you or cause you distress. The harm caused can be major or minor, and you do NOT need to disclose the act in your journal entry.

Note: Many individuals have experienced significant trauma caused by another individual. These types of experiences are NOT recommended for the focus of your forgiveness exercise. Choosing an event for this exercise that caused you great suffering can further add to your pain.

In particular, if at the outset of this exercise you have absolutely no intention of ever forgiving a person that has harmed you in some way, then that person should NOT be the focus of your forgiveness practice.

Forgiveness Activity

Complete the following steps by answering each of the questions:

I. What were you taught growing up about forgiveness (from parents, religion, etc.)

II. Do these teachings interfere with your forgiveness of the harmful act? If so, explain why. If not, explain why you have not applied these teachings to the harmful act. You might consider how this act differs from other acts that you have forgiven.

III. When you think about the harmful act, what emotions, thoughts, or physical reactions do you have?

IV. When you think about the person who committed the harmful act, what emotions, thoughts, or physical reactions do you have?

V. How has this harmful act changed your views and trust in others? What other negative impacts has this act had in your life? Allow any negative emotions to arise and acknowledge that what happened was not okay. Also acknowledge that you will no longer be a victim, or no longer let this harmful act have power over you.

VI. Find empathy for the person who committed the harmful act.

1. What was life like for this person growing up? What wounds or stressful life events do you think this person has had to endure that made him/her more likely to hurt you?

2. What stressors or pain were in this person's life at the time he/she committed the harmful act that made him/her more likely to hurt you?

3. Can you understand why this person did what he/she did? Understanding does NOT mean you condone the behavior, only that you can empathize or see the act from his/her perspective. Empathy opens the door for compassion and forgiveness.

VII. Find compassion for the person who committed the harmful act.

1. Can you bear the pain caused by this harmful act in order to show mercy to the person who committed it and relieving his/her burden or suffering?

2. What "gifts" could you give the person to relieve his/her suffering? Make a list. For example, I might call the person more frequently. (These do not need to be carried out, just imagined.)

VIII. Forgive the person who committed the harmful act.

1. Can you let go of the hurt and anger caused by this person? Can you separate the person from the act? Get the instant assignment help.

2. If you are able to forgive the person, what feelings, thoughts, or emotions do you now have toward him/her? In what way have they changed?

3. If you are not able to forgive the person, what is impeding forgiveness? For example, are you stuck on the empathy step?

IX. Thoughts: Have you found meaning or purpose in the hurtful act? For example, perhaps you are more sensitive now to causing others pain. Or perhaps dealing with the hurt has made you more resilient. Sometimes we grow from the negative experiences in our life, and reflecting on this growth can help us move forward.