Just Thinking. Workbook for Responsible Decision Making Revised & Updated Edition

Transcription

1 Just Thinking Workbook for Responsible Decision Making Revised & Updated Edition

2 Copyright 2008, 1999, 1998 Truthought, LLC All Rights Reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of Truthought, LLC, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. Revised and Updated Edition, 2008, includes an added introduction, A Responsible Life That Renews Itself, new graphics, and minor text changes. Initially published by Truthought in a different form in Reformatted in Printed in the USA. Truthought, LLC is an organization active in promoting and preserving responsible thinking and civility in the lives of contemporary people and societies.

3 Table of Contents A Responsible Life That Renews Itself... 6 Before You Begin 6, Group Use 7, How To Complete Your Truthought Workbook Exericses 7, Keeping Track of Your Thinking 8, Way of Life Continuum 10 Glossary Checking My Thinking Personal Applications 14, My Actions, My Life 16, Code for Living My Life 18, Learning About Me 20, My Choices 22, Things I Value 24, Finding the Responsible Solution 25, Relating To Others 26, Think About This 27, Rights 28, What Do I Contribute? 29, My Goals and Plans 30, Self-Respect 31, Worries 32, Old Way Out, New Way In 33 2 Targeting My Thinking Qualities That Earn Respect 35, Feeling Good versus Being Right 36, Being Responsible 38, Positive and Negative 40, Learning 41, Knowing My Limits 42, Being Right And Feeling Good 43, Infl uences 44, Give and Take Learning 45, Communication and Interest 46, Abuse and Intention 48, Tactics and Anger 50, Endurance 52, Old Way Out, New Way In 53 3 Committing to Culture What Is Success? 55, Community Values and Commitment 56, Positive Power 57, What is Power? 58, How Others View Me 59, More Views Of Me 60, Good Advice 61, Getting Along With Others 62, Conscience 63, The Approval Of Others 64, Controlling 65, Trust 66, Faults and Failures 67, Feeling Foolish 68, Cultural Values 70, More On Cultural Values 72, My Values And My Culture 74, Who To Trust 76, Stuck In The Mud Of My Thinking 78, Old Way Out, New Way In Truthought, LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced.

4 4 Proactive Accountability Improving My Life 82, Taking Things For Granted 84, Can Or Can t 85, Obligations 86, Who, Where, And What 87, A Closed Or Open Case 88, Me From The Inside Out 90, Reliability 92, The Truth About Me 93, Facing The Uncomfortable 94, Rational or Irrational 95, Common Goals 96, Using Others 97, Asking For Help 98, Blaming 99, Making It Through Tough Times 100, Sizing Up My Situation 101, Being Bigger 102, Old Way Out, New Way In Making My Destiny Who I Victimized 105, How My Victims Feel 106, Replacing Excuses 107, At The Heart Of It All 108, Positive and Negative 109, Breaking Through Barriers 110, Getting A Grip 111, Opinion Or Fact 112, Making Important Decisions 113, Changing My Choices 114, What Is Intimacy? 115, Maintaining Positive Performance 116, Showing I Care 117, Taking A Stand 118, Imagine 119, Who I Could Be And Who I Am 120, What Will It Take? 122, Relationship Expectations 124, Walking In Someone Else s Shoes 126, Respect 127, Old Way Out, New Way In Truthought, LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced. 5

5 Keeping Track of Your Thinking At the end of each exercise you may record what kind of thinking you experienced that day on the yellow-note. You can keep a running total of the kind of thinking you experience on the yellow-note, Total So Far. day one: Total So Far X 1 day two: X 2 Total So Far day three: X Total So far Truthought, LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced.

6 Checking My Thinking

7 Checking My Thinking Personal Applications >> 1. Beneath each statement explain how you think it applies to you. I have my own unique style of living, and I do what I want. I have little in common with others unless I want something from them. I lie because it s so easy. Life is one way all the way, and that s my way. The wisest mind has something yet to learn. George Santayana I trust only the people I can manipulate, control, or use. I live for each moment. There s no need to plan for my future Truthought, LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced.

8 I m not interested in the truth, it interferes with me getting what I want. 2. Explain what each of the following mean to you. My family: The values and customs of my race (my culture): Personal Applications My girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife: My community: Total So far 2008 Truthought, LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced. 15

9 Targeting My Thinking

10 Qualities that Earn Respect 1. List 5 things you think others would have to do to earn your respect. 1. Targeting My Thinking << Self respect is the fruit of discipline. Abraham J. Herschel 2. List 5 qualities of a best friend: From the 10 items you listed above, select all that you choose to be your principles to live by. Write Me next to your choices. Total So far 2008 Truthought, LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced. 35

11 Making My Destiny

12 Who I Victimized 1. List the first names of all the people you have victimized in the past. Explain how you victimized them. List at least ten. Making My Destiny << Name How I Victimized Them A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience. Doug Larson Total So far 2008 Truthought, ht LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced. d 105

13 Making My Destiny >> How My Victims Feel 1. Make a list of all the feelings you think your victims had, or still have, as a result of you victimizing them. List the first name of each person again and their feelings. Name Feelings Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. Auguste Rodin Total So far Truthought, ht LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced.

14 Replacing Excuses 1. Being a responsible thinker means not accepting excuses for yourself. It means controlling your thoughts and feelings. Make a list of all the excuses you use regularly. Making My Destiny >> When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself. Louise Nizer 2. Write a responsible thought below to replace each excuse. Responsible Thoughts: Total So far 2008 Truthought, ht LLC. All rights reserved. By law these pages may not be reproduced. d 107