01 Lesson 2: Developing the Whole Person
The only things we can control in life are
our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. If we can
manage those, we can achieve our goals and gain
success in life.
Evaluating One’s Thoughts. Feelings, and
Behaviors
➢ Thoughts are a representation of
something. A representation is a likeness–
a thing that depicts another thing by
having characteristics that correspond to
that other thing (for example, a picture,
image, imprint is a representation of that
object).
A map is another example of a
representation. The mind is a kind of map.
The brain, and its functional product the
mind, evolved as a map of the body’s
relation to its external environment.
Fundamentally, our thoughts are maps
representing and corresponding to things
that our brains have either perceived with
our senses, felt with our emotions, or
formed as an action plan.
Thoughts may be fleeting, or they may
later be consolidated as memories.
➢ Feelings are a conscious experience; it
denotes a state of consciousness, such as
that resulting from emotions, sentiments
or desires.
➢ Behaviors are, according to APA
Dictionary of Psychology, an organism’s
activities in response to external or internal
stimuli. It is any action or function that can
be objectively observed or measured in
response to controlled stimuli.
Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all
connected. They influence and affect one
another. Hence, to regularly evaluate one’s
thoughts, for instance, is in a way assessing also
one’s feelings and behaviors.
© St. Michael Academy of Meycauayan, Inc. | Personal Development, 2020
One popular kind of counseling is called
the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It is a
commonly used form of psychotherapy which
aims to assist individuals in understanding the link
between thoughts and feelings and in realizing
how these influence behaviors. Though individuals
have no control over things around them, through
CBT however, people can control the way they
interpret things and the manner they behave in
accordance to that interpretation.
CBT is based on the theoretical rationale
that the way people feel and behave is influenced
by how they perceive and place meaning on their
experience. Individuals usually have destructive
thoughts and feelings that can affect their
functioning and relationships at home, work,
school, and in the community. Through this
therapeutic intervention, an individual can
change his thoughts which leads to a change in
his feeling and behavior. The key, therefore, is in
the positive interpretation of things.
For instance, when faced with a negative
event, a person can either interpret it negatively
or positively. When he/she interprets it negatively
by thinking of undesirable thoughts about it, it
may result in negative feeling and a negative
behavior. On the other hand, when an event is
construed as something positive (though it can as
well be taken as negative), it may lead to a
positive feeling and eventually to a helpful
behavior.
Track Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors
Taking a break or a pause and identifying
our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can help us
learn valuable information to move forward.
As you continue to track your thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors, begin to get more
information about what thoughts and behaviors
are associated with each of your feelings. Getting
this information is the first step toward making a
change.
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 Try to stop three times during your day to
day activities and write down your thoughts,
feeling, and behavior. Try to do this once in the
morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the
evening.

References:

Corey, G. (2017). Theory and Practice of

Counseling and Psychotherapy, Tenth
Edition. 20 Channel Center Street, Boston,
MA 02210, USA: Cengage Learning

De Guzman, J.M., & Nicolas, M.L. (2016). Personal

Development. A Textbook and a
Workbook for Senior High School
Students. Malabon City: Mutya
Publishing House, Inc.
Feist, J., Feist, G., & Roberts TA. (2018). Theories
of Personality 9th Edition. 2 Penn Plaza,
New York, NY 10121: Mc-Graw Hill
Education

Lewis, R. (2019). What Actually is a Thought? And

How is Information Physical? Retrieved
September 23, 2020 from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl
og/finding-purpose/201902/what-
actually-is-thought-and-how-is-
information-physical

© St. Michael Academy of Meycauayan, Inc. | Personal Development, 2020 Page 2