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GOGI 1. Explain "CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY" GOGI tool. In addition, cite one personal example. (Week Seven) In order to be in charge of your life, there is the need to claim responsibility. Claiming responsibility, in this case, entails taking responsibility for our actions and reactions. The claim responsibility tool allows one to focus on today (GOGI Certificate Program, n.d, p.89). They do not need to focus on yesterday or tomorrow. You are supposed to use the tool during the day when something happens, or someone does something likely to upset or even concern you. By so doing, you are the boss of how you tend to handle things. In order to claim responsibility, you ask yourself whether you are indeed proud of the decisions that you are making. You should at least be proud of your choices. One can make better choices today. Making better choices today makes it possible to repair the mistakes of the past. If better choices are made today, chances are also high that better decisions will be made tomorrow. For example, today, I have opted to just sleep instead of going to a movie with my friends. This is a decision I am making today, yet it may foster my tomorrow's productivity. I am likely to avoid the night’s trouble outside. I will have humble time to reflect on my life before sleeping. 2. Make a list of all the things you need to be responsible for in your life today to lead a healthy, productive, and joyous life. Explain the relevance of these choices. (Week Seven) I will prefer to sleep than go out. This will keep my mind steady for the next day's activities. I will also be able to reflect on my life. I am also going to avoid eating any junk food. This will help cut my wait. It will also help me save money I waste on buying junk foods. I am going to run at least five laps around the compound. This will also help me cut weight. It will improve the flow of blood in my body. I will also be able to think straight. I should also reduce
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the amount of time I and on watching television. This should help me engage in more productive activities. I will also have to give more attention to my loved ones. I will be reading a book every day. This should help me build my intellectual capacity. 3. Explain “LET GO” GOGI tool. (Week Eight) Things in the past appear too big to ever move beyond. It may appear like bad things have controlled and defined our lives. It may sometimes be a normal way of feeling. The LET GO tool can be used for major and little things in life (GOGI Certificate Program, n.d, p.102). For instance, one can use it to deal with the daily irritations that tend to happen to everyone. When you let go, there is more room for positive decisions to be made in your life. Others or situations may not control you if you let go. You become the boss. You will be in control of your reactions. You will also be in control of your actions. Holding on to the past is one of the most harmful things one can do to themselves. Steps should be taken. The surest way to make steps is by letting the past go. This creates room for new things to happen. The new things will take you to a completely different level. 4. How have issues in the past kept you stuck in the past? (Week Eight) I made bad decisions initially, which hindered me from moving. When I joined college during my first year, I was very determined to complete it. However, I met friends who made me think otherwise. I decided to use the school fees on dubious investments after being lured by my friends. The money was wasted, and the deal that we had collapsed. I was unable to continue with the semester, while at the same time, I did not have any business to run. I stayed out for two before going back. As a result of this decision, I have not been able to move on. I have lagged behind professionally, and this reminds me of the past. Most of my friends are climbing the professional ladder. I have not been able to get even my first accreditation. I am still feeling the
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effect of the two years that I wasted. It has been hard to forgive myself. Any time I face struggles, it reminds me of my past. It has been four years down the line. 5. How does holding on to the harm hurt YOU? (Week Nine) Holding on to harm makes it impossible for one to go beyond the hurt; therefore, forgiveness cannot happen. One becomes blinded from knowing the right time to forgive because, i.e., when they are at a sufficient distance from harm. It becomes impossible to gain that innate need to give to others. One holds on to feelings that do them more harm than good. They can stand tending towards doing something good for someone else. You will not be able to choose to be of service to someone in some way. They are not in a position to unhook from the past (GOGI Certificate Program, n.d, p.116). Forgiveness is likely to help me move forward and be able to put a stop to recurring pain. It unlocks an individual and releases them from past harm. Holding onto the harm makes it impossible to give back, give to others and get out of the small world created by harm. When we are harmed, our world revolves around the harm. We lose sight of our innate need to give to others. We are supposed to be safe from harm for us to be able to give. Holding on to harm makes it impossible for one to move forward. People get used to the recurring pain. One remains locked in the past harms. Even if you are the one who caused the harm, you are still haunted by it. One may be unable to do something nice for someone else because they are not set free from pain. Holding on to harm makes one more harmful. People who live with resentment become bitter and may retaliate in harmful ways. Such bitterness is also contagious as it can be spread over to others. One may not even be able to seek help from others because they lost trust in them. They isolate themselves. They navigate hurdles alone. These are self-harming behaviors. 6. Why is it that people are resistant to FORGIVE? (Week Nine)
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They hold onto the past. They have not been able to get over what happened to them. They tend to believe that forgiving will amount to giving their offenders undue attention. For them, forgiving entails bringing their offenders closer. They are not ready to have their offenders closer. Moreso, such people don't know the benefits of forgiving. They think forgiving is giving others undue advantage. Nevertheless, forgiveness makes it easier to move on (GOGI Certificate Program, n.d, p.117). Nature has made people tend to avoid exploitation from others. One of the easiest ways to avoid exploitation is simply avoiding the exploiter. Sometimes people have to take some time to let go of bitterness. It is difficult to let bitterness go away. They sometimes do not know to forgive. Starting to forgive, especially if the offender is not apologizing, is difficult. However, that does not have to be part of forgiving. 7. Explain the GOGI tool "WHAT IF." (Week Ten) 'WHAT IF' allows one to see possibilities that they may not be able to realize. It allows one to be the boss of their future. Once you look at the possible outcomes for the future, you are more likely to make better decisions. WHAT IF is the tool you can use to build your positive future (GOGI Certificate Program, n.d, p.130). One can also use the tool for the negative in order to avoid negative outcomes. One can set goals for themselves and see the benefit of working towards a positive outcome. It puts one in charge because they are choosing what they want to endorse in their lives every day. It entails stating the direction of your life from now going forward. One can take a glimpse into the future. It gives a snapshot of what is likely to happen with your decision. One can see what will happen if one eats healthily, walk more, and attend positive meetings. It is like being the director of your movie. You create every scene by your
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choices and how you respond to others. It is also a mind-opener. It allows one to see new possibilities. 8. What are some of the limitations or challenges you encounter in your life that keep you trapped and interfere with your success? (Week Ten) There exist various factors that tend to interfere with my success. Most activities I engage in today do not add any value to my tomorrow. I enjoy myself today to the extent that I forget that I am supposed to prepare for tomorrow. For example, I have poor saving habits. I would rather take my time on leisure activities than do more productive activities such as enrolling in an extra course or volunteering in a reputable organization to sharpen my skills. This makes me just an average person, yet the world is becoming extremely competitive. Again, I am normally very reluctant to update my skills to align myself with highly dynamic work environments. I tend to be in a comfort zone most of the time; I do not challenge myself to do better or even exceed expectations. I also fear taking risks. I find it difficult to challenge myself to do something new, especially if I know that the returns are not guaranteed. I fear losing, so I do not try new things. I do many things to embrace people, and I tend to fear rejection. Whatever I do should always conform to what people expect. Whenever I feel that people will disapprove of my actions, I would keep off. This has made me very cautious about everything I do. It makes it difficult for me to break the boundaries through creativity and surprise people by turning what they thought could not work. I give up easily, especially when it is too late to pursue some skills. I have not been cognizant that the more I fail, the higher my chance of reaching success if I do not give up. Failure is a teacher—it teaches you what didn't work out, and if you allow it, it will motivate you to find other ways that will work out. Unsuccessful people allow failure to cripple them.
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9. Explain the GOGI tool "REALITY CHECK." (Week Eleven) In everything we do, we know we will make mistakes along the way. However, reality check helps us to correct such mistakes very fast. When we do something that is not perfect, a REALITY CHECK is likely to help us quickly get back on track (GOGI Certificate Program, n.d, p.143). It is important to realize that you are human and prone to mistakes. However, this is not supposed to mean you will not succeed. The tool will likely help one be in charge and quickly recover from mistakes or bad decisions. Human beings make bad decisions but don't have to remain in the bad decision-making mode. If one can take ten steps forward sad two steps backward, they are still eight steps ahead. One should therefore focus on the good and progress as opposed to focusing on the bad decisions. The ability to get back on track as fast as possible is the reality check. When one focuses on the positive, it is likely to make it easier to overcome the disappointment which naturally comes when we make bad decisions. Courtesy of REALITY CHECK, one would realize that they are human but do not need to be defined by poor choices. Instead, one can be defined by their successes. We can keep getting better every day. People sometimes give up when they make a single mistake. It can never be late to make the next positive decision. We are reminded to make that positive decision, no matter what. You are likely to find great peace of mind when you allow yourself to recover from the mistakes with the grace and ease that REALITY CHECK offers. There is no shame in doing this. It is all about getting back and marching towards your goal. A person who does this is likely to be a powerful individual. This is one person who will not be taken down by his/her human frailties. It is easy to forget all the progress that we have made when we tend to mess up. This is because poor decisions are what we and others tend to focus on, and we get caught in it over and over again instead of simply calling it what it is: a backslide. We often get so caught up in the relapse of old
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behavior that we let it take us down. There is a need to apply REALITY CHECK in these situations so that we do not lose our forward momentum and do not give up. 10. Explain how YOU plan to be of service to others in your life. Be sure to comment on the application of racial equity and social justice, which John Jay College promotes. (Week Eleven AND your opinion, substantiated with cited evidence.) I intend to be of service to others by volunteering for various programs that are tailored toward benefiting everyone. For instance, there are various environmental protection programs in which I can take part. When we jointly clean the environment, everyone stands to benefit, and it encourages setting health standards for everyone. I also intend to volunteer in public spaces where my input will be needed. I also want to serve humanity by providing basic needs. For instance, ensuring that everyone has food on their table and that no child lacks such basic needs is more fulfilling. I will be in a position in my small capacity to ensure that I reach out to the vulnerable, in my small capacity. I will also join private groups and individuals to ensure that we reach out to people who need our help, mobilize the resources and help them. Many people lack the very basic essentials. Coming together to mobilize resources can go a long way to help solve disparities in such a manner that those who cannot afford such basics can get them. Service to humanity entails ensuring that no group is left behind. Therefore, I intend to be an advocate of racial equality everywhere I go. At any given time, the needs of any racial or social-economic group should be considered. One way to achieve racial equality is by advocating for policies that cater to all racial groups (Brooks & Brooks, 2009). In mainstream society, working with community members is seen as the most effective tactic tailored toward equality. Sensitization of different groups will entail working with community members and bringing people of different racial backgrounds together to discuss race, among other strategies. Racial
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equality is when institutions, such as schools, provide equal opportunities to individuals of all races regardless of their physical traits, such as skin color (Brooks & Brooks, 2009). Historically, and particularly at educational institutions, attaining equality for ethnic minorities has not been easy. Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities (Wacquant, 2010). It underscores the need for equal opportunities for everyone. Social justice can also be better achieved through advocacy. Whenever injustices are being perpetrated in society, I will be willing to take part in peaceful demonstrations and protests. I will also utilize social media because it provides a resourceful way to stay focused and organized around important causes. This will facilitate community building, collaboration, and awareness.
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References Brooks, R. L., & Brooks, R. L. (2009). Integration or separation? A strategy for racial equality. Harvard University Press. GOGI Certificate Program (n.d). 12-Week Certificate Course Wacquant, L. (2010). Class, race & hyperincarceration in revanchist America. Daedalus, 139(3), 74-90.