Three Areas of Human Functioning

Although most of us are unaware of this, there are three areas involved in how we operate in life.  And, it is important to become aware of what you are doing in relation to these.  They are:  Think, Feel, and Do.

Think – the area of “Think” has to do with what you think.  These are intellectualizations, conclusions, opinions, considerations, intentions, judgments, beliefs, reflections.  “Think” shapes how we see the world.

Feel – the area of “Feel” has to do with what you are feeling and the verbalizations that come from the emotions.  It is an emotional sensation, an awareness, the result of your impression of something or someone.

Do – the area of “Do” is about behavior.  It is action.   It’s a physical investment, fulfillment, the bringing to conclusion.  Doing is following through.

A problem arises when Think, Feel, and Do don’t complement each other.  Unfortunately, it is quite common for these three areas not to be similar regarding an issue.

You think (have an opinion, etc.) about something but feel uncomfortable about it (don’t like the emotional sensation it evokes) so you do not act on it.   The discrepancy between think and feel causes distress.  Therefore, there is no action.

The goal is to have Think and Feel aligned so there will be action – the Do.   When this exists, you are being true to yourself; being honest and, therefore, more at peace. 

So, it is a good idea to start becoming sensitive to what you are saying, to the words you use, and to notice when Think and Feel are not aligned.  Notice when you feel uncomfortable about something you are thinking – examine why there is this discomfort.  Is it that you are thinking something you are “supposed to” to be thinking but know it isn’t right for you?  Also notice when you feel uncomfortable about how you are feeling.  Is the thinking correct for you but you don’t like how it makes you feel?  If so, attend to the fear about that feeling.   

Honor yourself by aligning Think and Feel so you will be free to Do.

Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown 


OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com

Upcoming Teaching Topic

Tomorrow's teaching topic is The Three Areas of Human Functioning.  You'll discover what they are and why it is necessary for the first two areas to be aligned before there can be action.  Many of us find there is a disconnect between wanting something and acting on it.  You will learn how to bridge this gap.

A reminder:   Sign up for the free Daily Thought so you will receive an inspirational message in your inbox each morning.  To add your name to our private list, just to go http://TheLovingPath.org

I'll talk with you tomorrow!

Personalized Items

I have added personalized items to The Loving Path website: 

Daily Planner
Notebooks
Hardcover Journal
T-shirt
Posters 

You personalize the products by choosing the affirmation you desire.  
They make wonderful gifts - for yourself or someone else!
  
Take a look at http://TheLovingPath.org

Values

One’s values indicate what is deemed as worthy, what is esteemed.  Therefore, what you value let’s you know who you are and becomes a guide when making decisions.  Values are important because they allow you to know who it is that’s making the choices and why they are being made.  Let’s take some time to let you discover, or remind yourself, a bit about your values by answering the following questions:

The first thing you can remember wanting to be is important because when you were little there were no barriers.  You could be whatever you wanted to be.  As a result, your answer indicates a lot about what has always interested you.  You may not be able to engage in the occupation you first dreamed of, however you want to attempt to work at something that resembles what that first desire represented.  So, what is the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

The relationship that is the most satisfying to you is your groundedness.  It is what links you to someone/something else that is very important to you and that you do not want to harm or destroy.   Therefore, whatever you do in life will need to honor this relationship.  So, what is the most satisfying relationship in your life at this time and why is it satisfying?

Your answer to the question “How would you like to be remembered?” gives you your guidepost for determining who you want to be today.  This is because if you were to die tomorrow, you would be remembered for who you were today.  Therefore, thinking about how you want to be remembered will give you a good idea of how you want to run your life each day.  So, how would you like to be remembered?

And, here is a list of 25 words that represent values.  Rank-order the 10 that are most important to you and explain why each is significant to you:

Achievement   Art/Music   Beauty   Challenge   Community   Education   Fame   Family   Friends   Harmony   Health   Home   Love   Mission   Money   Nature   Peace   Pleasure   Religion/Spirituality   Respect   Security   Self-expression   Service   Status   Truth

Copyright 2011  Lynn Borenius Brown


OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com

The next teaching topic is Values

Please return tomorrow for information that can help you discover, or remind you, what your values are and provide the opportunity to learn more about yourself.

Integrity

The word, integrity, comes from the Latin, integer, which means whole.  Therefore, integrity is having a unified vision of self, a long-range view of who you are, where you are going, and where you want to end up as a person. 

Addressing the following incomplete sentence, the statement, as well as the two questions will take you closer to becoming an integrated individual.

When you reflect on the qualities of those you admire, you are holding up a mirror to yourself, discovering who you want to be.  So, I’ve always admired people who

You are an inherently powerful person who is always making a difference (whether you realize it or not).  Your existence in this world automatically makes you have an impact on those around you.  Never devalue your ability to be a catalyst for others!  So, name three times during the last week or month that you made a difference to someone or something.

You are a talented, skilled, influential person who is unlike anyone else on this earth.  The experiences you have had allow you to bring something special and important to everything you do and everyone with whom you come into contact.  Take some time to determine what it is you bring to everything you do as a result of being who you are.  So, how can I bring who I am to what I do?

At the end of each workday you want to be able to look in to the mirror and see a person who has given of him/herself to the world in a way that brings a sense of accomplishment and honor.  So, what type of work will allow this to happen?

Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown


OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com

The January 15 teaching topic is Integrity.

Hi!  Wanted to let everyone know that the upcoming topic is going to be "Integrity."  Please check back on Saturday for this information. 

If you'd like to receive an inspirational daily thought from The Loving Path, please go to the website and sign up by clicking on the "Daily Thoughts" page:  http://TheLovingPath.org.

We also have an audio version of this blog that has a link on the website.

Thank you for visiting.

Daily Thought Email

Since we live our lives one day at a time, it is helpful to have a thought that allows you to become "present" in your life each day.  So, The Loving Path has a Daily Thought that can be emailed to you each day.

These thoughts are primarily inspirational, but can also deal with a variety of life areas including:  weight management, spirituality, and philosophy.

To sign up for your Daily Thought, please go to http://TheLovingPath.org.  

Click on the "Daily Thoughts" page on the left side of the homepage.  

Just fill out the form and submit.  

Your name and email will never be sold.

Free Quizzes

Hope everyone is having a good Sunday!

Wanted to let you know that I have now put up two free quizzes on my website (http://TheLovingPath.org):  "Perfectionism" and "How Stress-Prone Are You?"  These teaching topics will be addressed in the Spring but wanted to let you know that if you're curious about these issues, you are welcome to take the informal quizzes.

Also, I offer self-healing CDs  as well as eBooks that you may find useful.

And, as always, please share this blog with your friends.  Thanks!

Purpose and Service

It is important to remember that we each must believe we have a purpose – a reason for getting up in the morning.  And each job is a life role altered to fit the workplace.  So, let’s take a look at roles and how they fit into your purpose and service.

Here is a list of words that represent common roles that people play in life.  Use these words to create a rank ordering of the importance of these roles to you – 1st is the most important to 20^th being the least important:

Artist   Aunt/Uncle   Boss   Business owner   Caregiver   Child   Friend   Godparent   Grandparent   Group member   Group leader   Handyman/woman   Homemaker   Manager   Parent   Sibling   Spouse   Student   Teacher   Worker

Once you have placed the roles in rank order, use this information to answer the following four questions:

1.  You want to be employed in a position that allows you to work at something you care about, something that matters to you.  Without this, job satisfaction will always be limited.  So, what do I care about – what matters to me?

2.  There are many different populations that someone can serve in any one position.  Therefore, it is important to know whom you want to be helping as a result of the work you do.  You also want to know how you want to be serving; that is, in what capacity will you feel most useful.  So, whom/how do I wish to serve?

3.  What do you want to be giving to your community as a result of going to work?  So, what do I want to contribute to my community or workplace through the work I do?

4.  Joseph Campbell, an anthropologist, said, “Follow your bliss.”  I believe what he meant by this was to try to get work doing something that when you are doing it, you lose all track of time, you forget your troubles.  You become so engrossed in what you are doing that you are what you are doing, that there is no separation between you and what you are doing.  If you find work that allows for this, you will have job satisfaction regardless of any other circumstances.  And there is great joy and peace that comes from having this bliss.  So, what can I put my heart into?

The answers to these questions are significant because they will help guide to toward a more loving, peaceful, and joyful life.

Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown


OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com

    

Identity and Recognition

Who you are refers to your value as a person apart from any role you play in life.  And, your value as a person is enhanced by your unique characteristics.

Who you are – that is, who you see yourself as being – is at the heart of your identity.  It is the foundation upon which all of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are built.  The description you give of yourself determines who the world will see.

Below are words that can be used to describe who you are.  Using words from this list and/or words you think of on your own, choose those that describe who you are as a person - that identify you.

Alert   Caring   Confident   Cool   Content   Creative   Curious   Dedicated   Expressive   Intuitive   Laid-back   Logical   Loyal   Natural   Non-judgmental   Nurturing   Social   Warm

Once you have made the list of words that describe you, incorporate these words when answering the following three questions:

1.       What do I want to be recognized and respected for?

2.      How do I define success?

3.      How do I want others to see me?

When you complete this exercise, you will have a better idea of whom you are – how you want to be identified – and you will have begun to think about how you want others to see you.

Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown


OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com