These may seem easy questions to answer. Most people would quickly report they are
goal directed. When asked what their
goals might be, they often make vague comments about being happy, becoming successful,
living a good and healthy life.
Be sure to note, these are indeed, very vague goals and not so
easy to achieve. This is where Social
Learning Theory (SLT) enters the scene, helping you bring clarity and
definition to your own goal directedness.
As mentioned in other posts, this Blog builds upon the Social Learning Theory of Dr. Julian B.
Rotter, ranked among the most influential psychologists of the 20th
century. A basic assumption of SLT is
human behavior is purposeful, and it is our privilege to pursue self-defined goals
and a life of our particular choosing.
Let’s see what this means.
If you feel aimless, as though you are drifting through life,
your daily experience is that of a tumble weed, then it is likely you are not
all that fulfilled, are not experiencing a gratifying sense of accomplishment,
and are not particularly happy. You
might be asking questions such as “Who am
I?” and “What does it all mean?”
Consider this. It is difficult to define personal goals when
you are feeling tense, anxious, angry, and crowded by emotional turmoil. Your feelings can dominate your consciousness
and you spend your time trying to fix them.
In so doing, you might try recreational or prescription drugs, going to
doctors, looking for solutions basically outside yourself. An alternative is to look inside yourself for
the answers you seek. There are
important voices within, seeking expression.
Listen to them.
When you do Relaxation
Therapy, you experience inner calm, peace within, a feeling that life is
actually okay, at least for now, in this moment. It is during these moments when we are most
clear as to what we want from life and what we can do to achieve satisfying
results.
I invite you to try something. Do Relaxation Therapy. Then, when
you return to a wakeful consciousness, ask yourself what matters most to
you. Let yourself FEEL the answer. Allow yourself to feel who you are and what
you want from life. Feel and allow the
answers to surface as they may. You
might be surprised to discover you have achievable goals, modest or magnificent
as they may seem to be.
Remember, you ARE what you think. You BECOME what you do.
Dr. Ray