To my past, present and future self- BP # 6

Introduction

Maybe I don't realize how many times I've reflected on my life experiences. But I'm sure my fingers can't count the number of times I've failed, cried, and given up hope. It's funny to think about, but whenever we face a difficult challenge in life, we usually tell ourselves that we don't want to or can't, so we give up, and we usually just want to die or rest. Perhaps by resting, we will no longer face problems or trials that put our abilities and self-sufficiency to the test. Is lying down the answer to happiness?Can you truly achieve freedom and happiness after death? Isn't it more meaningful if you can learn from your experiences, whether they were good or bad? When it comes to this matter, perhaps many of us are separated. However, in my opinion, life should not be measured by how many trials you have endured or how fortunate you have been in life, but by how you use the time you have in the world to be happy and to make every experience meaningful. Let me tell you about my childhood experiences and serve as an inspiration that as long as there is life, there is hope.

My life experience has not been easy. I was still young, and I went through a number of trials that put my character to the test. I can't deny that I gave up, cried, and felt sad many times as a result of the trials I faced. Because of my trials, I gradually became weak and easily tempted by things that I thought would provide an escape from the chaotic world I was living in. I gradually came to believe that perhaps luck is only for a select few, and that those of us who are not so fortunate will be replaced by life's hardships and trials. And as time passed, my trials in life seemed to continue indefinitely, as if I were doomed to them.I'll admit that during this time, I gave up and tried to simply vanish from the world so that I wouldn't have to go through those trials and would be free and no longer suffer. And as I was on the verge of death, it appeared that a butterfly had come to me to indicate and tell me something. At that point in my life, I came to my senses and realized the truth. Perhaps he gave me these kinds of problems because he knew I could handle them.

Although there are still challenges in my life, I have become more optimistic about it. Because I realized that we cannot avoid the trials that will come our way in life, but it is up to us to attack and deal with them. As a result, I had many realizations and promised myself that I would do everything to the best of my ability. This includes accepting what and who I am as a person and loving myself.It is essential that we fully understand and accept ourselves so that we do not struggle with the changes or trials that we will face because we already know and understand how to respond to those trials. Furthermore, it is critical that we know ourselves because you cannot help others if you cannot help yourself.Second, it is only natural to think carefully about every decision you make in order to avoid regrets later on. I took this into consideration because in the past I have regretted many decisions and decisions that were not well thought out, resulting in messy and negative outcomes. As a result, I want to promise my future self that I will be more cautious, watchful, and thorough in every decision I make. Third, avoid dwelling on things that haven't yet occurred. I've been overthinking things that haven't yet happened.I'm afraid that what I want and want might not match what happens in the future. Maybe I can't blame myself either because it was a reaction to being bullied. On the other hand, I want to be open to all possibilities and accept the outcome regardless of the outcome. Finally, be more loving and continue to choose loved ones who are always there for me and ready to support me in every life decision I make. I will value myself more to the next people, and I will value the people who helped me when I was down. And to my current self, choose happiness in whatever situation you find yourself in.

On the one hand, these life experiences can be linked to theories and concepts I learned in our Psych 101 class, some of which are listed below.

Applying different theories, concepts discussed in class.

Cognition or Cognitive Development 

How people or humans acquire, categorize, and assimilate knowledge to use is a key factor in cognitive development (Gauvain & Richert, 2016). Additionally, it is a process whereby understanding has enabled me to use it as a compass in every life decision I make, from those I made as a young child to those I make as an adult. Through this, my entire personality is molded into a person or a person who loves and is self-aware of himself. I was also able to gain enough knowledge and wisdom from various theories of cognitive development, including Jean Piaget's cognitive theory, to understand not only myself but also other people.And because I had the chance to study it, I gained a wider knowledge of many things as well as a broader perspective on many different facets of life. Considering my experiences, I have made many poor decisions and mistakes, but I have also done a lot of things right. But as a result of these and the experiences I had here, I improved as a person and acquired enough knowledge to prevent me from making the same mistakes again.

Emotions 

Our lives are greatly impacted by our emotions. For the reason, by doing this, we learn how to act or think in particular situations. Emotions will demonstrate that we are still living, sentient beings with a variety of feelings, some of which may be hurtful to us. As an illustration of the difficulties I have faced and continue to face, I frequently wonder if this is too much to bear or if I can overcome it.Emotions also play a significant role in a person's memory for encoding and consolidation, according to the topic and other theories that are being discussed in class. In order for me to fully accept myself as a person with his own identity, this serves as a way to encourage me to have a better self-analysis, to reflect on my past, and to finally embrace and love the concerns that I have developed in the past.

Personality
I had plenty of opportunities in my course psych 101 to fully comprehend not only my own personality but also the personalities of everyone else. where each person has a unique personality based on the events in their lives that shaped them. And I undoubtedly learn more about various personalities with the aid of other theories and concepts covered in class. The psychodynamic theory of Sigmund Freud, which explains human personality, is one of the personality theories connected to this. Whereas in the psychodynamic approach, the unconscious is a region of our mind that houses things we are unaware of, like feelings, urges, memories, and feelings.This behavior and personality can be explained by inner conflicts in the mind. The Id, ego, and super ego are three components of the personality, for instance. When the superego and Id are at odds with one another, the ego cannot resolve the situation, which causes anxiety. And many times, people will employ a "defense mechanism" like repression in an effort to lessen the anxiety they are experiencing. Therefore, it can be determined here where the problem originated and in that way addressed and given a way to overcome the thing that caused the problem by understanding and identifying early on and looking back to a person's past in their childhood.In my case, for example, the fact that I've had a variety of life experiences—the majority of which were negative—has led to anxiety.Therefore, it is crucial that I understand the root of the issue by thinking back to my childhood memories in order for me to find a solution.Because of what I did, I noticed that I had undergone changes that had molded me into the person I am today. And by doing that, I was able to put to rest the old memories that had given my life significance as I gradually came to terms with my personality and my identity.

Finally, reflecting on my past and writing a letter to my present and future selves allows me to fully accept the interconnectedness of each one, such as cognition, emotion, and personality, as well as other theories such as psychodynamic theory and such that I learned in Psych 101. And with their help, I learned more about myself, which I can use in my later chapters. Looking back, it's crucial that we accept our past, present, and future and make an effort to always act with love and kindness as we live our lives.

References:

Mcleod, S. (2023, June 7). Jean Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development & Theory. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from: Jean Piaget's Theory and Stages of Cognitive Development - Simply Psychology

Cherry, K. (2021, August 12). The Psychology of the Brain and behavior. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from:The Psychology of the Brain and Behavior (verywellmind.com)

Cherry, K. ( 2023, February 27). The 6 Major Theories of Emotion. Verywell mind. Retrieved from: Overview of the 6 Major Theories of Emotion (verywellmind.com)

Latif, S. (2021, August 30). What is Cognitive Development? 3 Psychology Theory. Positive psychology.com.Retrieved from: What Is Cognitive Development? 3 Psychology Theories (positivepsychology.com)

Mcleod, S. (2023, June 14). Psychodynamic Approach in Psychology. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from: Psychodynamic Approach in Psychology (simplypsychology.org)