International Journal of Choice Theory® and Reality ... - CTRTJournal

Regardless of your age, you can seize opportunities to strengthen your academic
knowledge-base, improve your communication skills, develop more efficient selfmanagement,
and learn to position yourself to take fuller advantage of your gifts and
talents. Consequently, there is not just one right job that is the perfect fit. Rather, you will
go through stages in life where your decision making becomes clearer based on an overall
direction related to what you enjoy and do well. Our talents are often linked to our unique
interests, aptitudes, values, and environments that seem to bring out the best in us. Every
job can be performed in a manner that is significant and worthwhile. John Ruskin said ―The
highest reward for your toil is not what you get from it, but what you become by it.‖ You job
should make you a better as well as happier person (Josephson, 2008, retrieved from
http://charactercounts.org/michael/2008/09/September1,2008).
Promoting Survival via Improved Health and Wellness
Wellness is a philosophical, proactive approach that can positively affect nearly every aspect
of one‘s life. Most experts agree that wellness is much more than the lack of health. Rather,
it is a broad and holistic attempt at increasing our wellbeing. To experience greater levels of
wellness, many experts believe we need to be more attentive related to becoming more
aware of current choices, evaluating the following major life tasks: nutritional awareness,
physical activity, stress management, environmental sensibility and spirituality.
Self-responsibility is the most important concept related to wellness. Becoming more
responsible for pursuing a good life necessitates becoming aware of our current choices,
evaluating alternative to make life more meaningful, and taking action by seizing
opportunities to make healthier decisions.
Spirituality relates to the meaning, purpose, and direction we take in pursuing the good life.
Identification with a higher power, whether practicing a certain religion, discovering
universal principles that enrich friendships, and becoming more engaged in helping others
seem to be major components that deepen feelings of spirituality.
Stress can be positive unless it exceeds one‘s capacity to cope. We need a certain amount
of stress in our lives to not only survive, but also to thrive. However, when stress exceeds
our capacity to cope, it manifests in many unwanted ways and typically zaps our energy and
our zest for life. The challenge is to learn how to invite the optimal level of stress into our
life to help experience greater levels of wellness and well-being.
We talk to ourselves throughout the entire day. Our self-talk impacts our brain chemistry
and messages are delivered in a variety of ways throughout our body. People who learn to
have hoped that they can control their circumstances and develop and optimistic view of
dealing with difficulties reap many benefits and typically feel better. Many people
successfully learn to become more self-aware of the connection between self-statements,
beliefs, and the direct connection on mood and energy. We can replace negative or
irrational thoughts such as ―this event is awful or horrible‖ to ―this event is unfortunate;
however, I can successfully deal with it.‖ One of the most effective ways of doing this is to
just focus on our senses and try to imagine ourselves successfully overcoming adversity or
perhaps remembering a place that is associated with positive images or feelings.
We can also change how we deal with adversity. The most difficult part is just making the
initial change but once we do, it is likely to be a positive habit. We can monitor our
behaviors by developing an image of what we really want in life including relationships,
successful careers, and enjoyable activities that promote wellness.
International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy • Fall 2011 • Vol. XXXI, number 1 • 34