The Road Map of Life Om - 301 Summary Paper

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Autonomy, being in control of one’s life soon followed; this is the next step in the theory of Self-Determination. Because I took time to meditate on God’s thoughts by listening to worship songs, my paths were made straight so I understood where to go. With each passing day, I could gain strength to keep my commitment to Christ so that he could change my thought life. Although from the world’s point of view, I was in control and making better choices, I understand that it was truly God that was in control. I had to make the choice to let go of my life and allow him to take charge of it. . Confession was a significant part of my process; allowing others to know that I desired a better life caused me to become accountable to my friends and family as well as to my church family. I could no longer hide behind the shadows of fear and doubt. It was time for me to declare that I was the righteousness of God. The final need to satisfy Self-Determination is Relatedness. Relatedness is connecting to others. Being an author helped me to accomplish this final task. The journals in my book are there to help other women connect to the pain that I was feeling. In return, bring about healing to all that choose to connect with me. All of these steps lead me to Maslow’s final tier on the hierarchy of needs; it is self-Actualization. Self-Actualization is the drive to become everything that one is capable of being. This concept was and still is very exciting to me. I now believe and know that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. When first being a relationship with Christ everything is new and one tends to think that God is going to fix all his or her problems at once. As a one grows in Christ so does the stress of trying to live more according to God’s perfect will. This is why the theory of the Circular Rule is so relevant to my life. “The Circular Rule or Renewal Cycle is a self-renewing process. Our lives today are measured by cycles and chapters, not by linear accomplishments” (McLean, 1995). This process allows one, to sum up, their life and make sense of God’s timing in when things do not succeed the way we hope they would go. When one has reached the top of the hierarchy tier, it can leave him or her feeling disappointed. The situation could cause one to doubt whether they have succeeded at all. Understanding the Circular Rule will cause one’s faith to increase from one season into the next season of life; one can gage properly where they are at in his or her life. The Renewal Cycle consists of four phases. “Phase 1 is the “Go for it” stage is the positive part of a life chapter, when you seek to live your dream and if all goes well reach a sustainable plateau of success and well being” (McLean, 1995). This is the phase that I was determined to reach and stay at. I was shocked to find out it was temporary. I then became familiar with phase 2, “Stuck in the Doldrums, is a down time, a protracted sense of decline, when you are not happy with your life chapter, but you do not think you can do much about it” (McLean, 1995). This phase ruled most of my early twenties. It was not that I did not have other chapters in my life; however, I was not mature enough to understand that it was only a chapter. The decisions that I made during phase two led to more doldrums. I became a victim of my circumstances. “Phase 3, Cocooning, is a detachment from the chapter that was not working, taking out emotional time out to heal, reflect, and discover new directions for your life” (McLean, 1995). This is probably the most important phase of one’s life. Taking time out to reflect on one’s challenges, as well as what has been learned and accomplished. I do not believe one can move forward successfully without first going through this phase. “Phase 4 is, Getting Ready for the next chapter, is a time for experimenting, training, and networking, resulting in a launching of your next chapter” (McLean, 1995). I believe this is where life has currently guided me. Knowing and understanding the plans for one’s life can lead to great satisfaction. Having that satisfaction does not always mean that one will win every battle; however, it has everything to do with what you learn while on the journey. The purpose of one’s life is to gain more knowledge on how make the road better for those who will travel the same road after he or she is gone. This course has confirmed the path that I am currently on by allowing me to revisit every stage of life as well as allowing me to prepare for future stages in my later years of life. I have learned to relax more, and trust that God is still in control of my life. I have also learned to be patient with others who are on his or her own journey. One will always need goals, chapters, and tiers to accomplish until the day that he or she dies. My final objective is to hear God say, “Well done.”

References

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