UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

The term understanding self can be understood as our attempt to explain ourselves to
ourselves, to build a scheme (in Piaget's terms) that organises our impressions, feelings and
attitudes about ourselves.

For me, to know about my own self or understanding myself is a journey in itself begins with
Who am I? The answer can be so many, for example:-

 a daughter to my father
 a student to my teacher
 a teacher to my student

But what I am for myself, How do I categorise myself or in which category should I put
myself to know more about myself. Well these all are part of my self identity and somewhere
reflect my personality, my interests, my abilities, my occupation, although these are not
restricted to something they keep on changing from moment to moment .

Thus understanding self is essential component as well.

As Franken (1994)" suggests that when people know themselves, they can maximize
outcomes because they know what they can and cannot do".

while deciding the career it is useful to spend time understanding yourself, including your
capabilities, expertise and personal values. Being self-aware can help you to plan
development and make career decisions that are right for you.

There are various method to analyse or to explore our own selves. It can be done through
Dairy writing , Journal writing etc this enable us to think and write without the fear of
criticism.
 JOURNAL WRITING

A journal is a written record of incidents, experiences, and ideas. Also known as a personal
journal, notebook, diary, and log. The word journal comes from the French word "jour"
means sunrise to sunset and from the Latin word diurnalis meaning daily.

Thus, a journal is some form of notebook in which daily writing is recorded. Journals help
people clarify their thoughts.

Jotting down feelings, responses, and insights into daily events gives writers an opportunity
to discover what they think and how they feel about different topics.

Journal writing is a tool for self exploration, self discovery, to understand our self even better.
It build up our thinking ability , develop our positive attitude and enable us to build our own
point of view.

A Journal is a form of writing which doesn't need any topic, whatever you feel just get write
down "The best thing is to write anything, anything that comes into your mind, until there is a
calm and creative day.

A journal enable us:-

 To Preserve memories
 Improve your writing
 Sharpen your senses

The journal can in the form of :-

 Dialoguing
 core values
 List making
 Personal manifesto
 Perspectives
 Unsent letter
 Core values
 Character sketch
 JOURNAL 1

Loyal peacekeeper....
Firstly I would like to introduce myself, My name is Zeenat parveen. I am a animal lover,
vegetarian and a Muslim. The reason why I mention my Religious identity is because I more
often criticized for being a Muslim vegetarian, not only from my Muslim friend but from my
non-Muslim friend as well because some of them are non-vegetarian and judge me on my
food habit.

Apart from the outsiders, my family do support my decision of being vegetarian and they also
takes precautions that nothing raw or cooked ever come in front of me. I got scared when I
see blood and meat either cooked or raw.

"THIS IS MY PHOBIA"

The reason being vegetarian is that I feel a strong connection between animals and me. I
could feel the pain they had when they are killed.
From the last two years, I pledge to serve food, milk, biscuit, green vegetable to the animals
Nearby to me.
In my childhood days when my moral values teacher gives lecture on to be friendly to
animals and when she let us or make us to think of them or their family, she takes us to in
other world, where sometimes I found myself talking to animals and they even responding to
me as well.
Even now a Days whenever I look an animal either a cow or dog, her image come to my
mind, the concern she had for the animal and the concerns she tried to build within us for
animal get reflected into my actions.
We human's sometimes ignore their voices .... I wish they could speak in our language so that
At least we don't pretend to be unknown of their pain.
Whenever I serve them anything I can see the love in their eyes. I love them the most .
"THIS MAKES ME HAPPY"
 JOURNAL 2

The Black Night......

On 2nd May 2017, My father at 11:30 pm called me in his room and hug me and make me sit
with him, he told me to be relax because it was a very stressful day for me as I was studying
since morning for my exam which is on the next day. We both watched the film and then I
get shifted to my bed and we all get asleep by the 1.30 around.
I don't know when he woke up and went to the washroom and come back, I heard the sound
that someone is moaning in pain. I woke up opened the light, My dad body was all shrunk up,
I called my brother and along with him we went to the hospital. There the doctors informed
that he a major heart attack and two of his arteries are blocked, also they aren't able to handle
such a case. They refer him to another hospital and told us that he is not having much time. I
was completely blank at that moment, but somehow I gathered all myself and take him to the
other hospital.. It takes 7 min to reach there and the fear of losing him had almost killed me
Thousand of times.
Dad always used to say, Never ever get panic because whenever you are panic 80% of your
mind will not be able to work .
These words of him was in all over my mind, throughout the night. Doctor takes him for the
surgery.
It was now 6:00 am in the morning. My dad was still in ICU and we all were outside waiting
for the Doctor. The doctor comes with a GOOD NEWS, that he is now out of danger.
I wanted to see my dad, he allowed me... I looked at him, he looked me back with a smile.
His smile was my strength. Doctor didn't allow me to go near to him. So I step back and left
the room and start crying the whole incidence since he called me, we both were watching
movie, our happy faces, our love and now he is in the hospital.
I was shattered, my heart was broken and it looks like someone had punched my heart so
heart that the pain and fear of losing him is still there with me every single time.
It was a complete black night for me, as I could have lose everything but as we know the
darker the night the brighter the day, and with the Almighty ALLAH blessing I got my
sunshine back "MY DAD".
 JOURNAL 3

Beginning of the Beginning....

We all have a list of things which makes us happy. I also have My Happy list and the most
important source of my happiness is MY FAMILY( kabhi khushi kabhi gum fir bhi saath
rahe hum). Apart from my family, spending time with children also makes me happy. I had
worked in many NGOs where I found a bond between me and the children. We played
together, share our thoughts and our childhood memories.
I am also a tuition teacher and I have students of all age but what I found common in them is
that they all somewhere have an innocent mind, with hundred of questions or may be even
more.
Being with children with so many years I actually found what I suppose to do in my life but I
always struggle between two professions either a lawyer or a teacher. I opted Law as my
profession but while preparing for it , I rather being happy I was more had stress and that
stress is kicking my head.
So then finally I decided to be a teacher and now I am here in GNCE, preparing myself to be
a good teacher and to develop the skills of professional teacher.
One of my college professor told me once" Don't be sad if something had been taken away
from you... It can be a beginning of something new...consider it the beginning of the
beginning"
While changing profession once again I was going through the same issues and I again found
this support in my college Director sir, principal ma'am and in my college staff who helped
me in my NEW BEGINNING.
Today I am happy that I have such a supportive teachers, family with me a s my mentors.
So Now for me "Its never the end, its always beginning of the beginning".
 JOURNAL 4

Life in a metro......
On 14th July 2018, The second cut off of IPU B.ed admission list came and thankfully I got
admission in one of my preferred college. So the next day I freezed my seat. On 23rd July, I
Have to report on the allocated college for further document verification work.
I wake up early in the morning, get ready and left for the college. It took 1 hour 30 min to
reach there, when one hour pass my legs were literally shaking as I was standing in metro for
so long and there is only one thought that this is going to be my routine for the coming two
years.
After metro, I have to travel in bus for 5 to 7 minutes to reach my college, by the time now I
was completely Frustated and exhausted. But the area and surrounding was quiet good and
impressive. There were malls and PVR, it is hub for hangouts. I loved this other side of the
place but I am not a person who like to travel a lot atleast not on a daily basis.
Some of my documents were not completed .So, I have to come again tomorrow to submit
them. On the way back to home I was restless, thanks to god atleast I got a seat in metro.
While coming back to home, I could have seen my future and the only question in my mind
was " HOW WILL I MANAGE ALL THE THINGS". Its not going to be easy.Daily up and
down and to travel so long make me feel numb.
I came back home, tired and sleepy all I want is my bed and to sleep but the fear of travelling
was in my head.
So in the next day again I push myself to get ready to go to the college to submit rest of the
documents. I was only imagining my life in a metro but certainly to cheer me up, I found my
inspiration in one of the song of Band Baja Baraat movie which is "TAKEEBEIN".
I was listening to this song in my whole journey and after sometime I get bored of this too.
But finally in the spot counselling I got the college of my first preference which is" GURU
NANAK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION" in West Punjabi Bagh, which is nearer to my house
and I can easily travel as well, it took 20 minutes to reach there.
So in the end everything goes well and I am happy.
 JOURNAL 5

Zindagi gulzaar hai...

I believe in a content sort of life in which even small things makes a big difference by
empowering my inner strength. I am thankful to the ALMIGHTY GOD for everything, I had
a big loving and caring family. I am not a materialistic kind of a person who could find
happiness in big houses, a luxurious car these things only make a change in livestyle but
these things doesn't bring that peace and happiness for which I actually quest for.
Whenever I met my old friends they always says that they wanted to be like me a happy,
cheerful person with no worries, no issues.
I told them that sometimes i also goes through the same stress and issues which you guys face
but what I do is never let my problems overcome or overpower onto my happiness or my
inner strength.
Just do that, never ever let your problems weaken you and so you can also love your life as i
do and as I see it like always GULZAAR.
Love your life because its not completely yours , your parents, friends and all loved ones are
connected to it .
I believe that everything happen for a reason and if you interpret the reason correctly, you
will never felt disheartened.
Happiness comes from my the soul, If your soul is happy then only you are happy. For me
my happiness start with my family and end with my family and had given me my family as a
blessing to me. I have a big joint family in which even a small get together and gathering
looks like a festival or a wedding celebration. We are six sister's all are married except me,
during summer vacations they all come home and we all live together that is the best time of
our lives. There is abundance of happiness in my life and there is one important big reason
for this happiness and togetherness that is my grandfather who bring these quality of
togetherness in everyone of us. He left all of us on 18th July 2010 . We all missed him a lot
and somewhere he is also missing us as well.

"THANK YOU"