Where Do My Life Experiences Come In?
Your experiences have a great deal to do with shaping your values and priorities. In fact, you could say that life experiences are what mold and shape your values and priorities. Evaluating past experiences can help you see why and how you have certain values and priorities. This information can be used to help determine your purpose, mission, and vision for living out the Purposeful Vision God has set for you. The bottom line is the more you evaluate and reflect on these experiences the greater your understanding and the more positive the impact. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8: 28).
- Life Experience Steps:
— Search your memory for experiences that have shaped who you are today, experiences that have established permanent attitudes and behavior.
— Prior negative experiences don’t have to shape your present attitudes and behavior in negative and harmful ways. How many of these experiences have created a positive/negative attitude or behavior?
— Reflect on experiences that have created a positive attitude or behavior. Reaffirm and focus on them.
— Reflect on experiences that have created a negative attitude or behavior. Commit to changing these limiting attitudes and behavior.
— Focus on what the experiences have taught you and how they have impacted your life in the choices you make today.
See the next page foldout to map out the experiences that have impacted your life. Make your statements short and concise. If you can remember your age and the year at the time of the experience put it beside the experience. The starting line will mark the earliest experience that impacted your life. Continue along the course chronologically listing your experiences. Consider using post-it notes before completing the foldout in order to map the life experiences chronologically. Refer to the example below.
Experience
Intentional Strategy
1. Positive recall/refection on past
2. Positive anticipation of the future
3. Positive acceptance of the present
Experience
Intentional Strategy
1. Positive recall/refection on past
2. Positive anticipation of the future
3. Positive acceptance of the present
Your experiences have a great deal to do with shaping your values and priorities. In fact, you could say that life experiences are what mold and shape your values and priorities. Evaluating past experiences can help you see why and how you have certain values and priorities. This information can be used to help determine your purpose, mission, and vision for living out the Purposeful Vision God has set for you. The bottom line is the more you evaluate and reflect on these experiences the greater your understanding and the more positive the impact. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8: 28).
- Life Experience Steps:
— Search your memory for experiences that have shaped who you are today, experiences that have established permanent attitudes and behavior.
— Prior negative experiences don’t have to shape your present attitudes and behavior in negative and harmful ways. How many of these experiences have created a positive/negative attitude or behavior?
— Reflect on experiences that have created a positive attitude or behavior. Reaffirm and focus on them.
— Reflect on experiences that have created a negative attitude or behavior. Commit to changing these limiting attitudes and behavior.
— Focus on what the experiences have taught you and how they have impacted your life in the choices you make today.
See the next page foldout to map out the experiences that have impacted your life. Make your statements short and concise. If you can remember your age and the year at the time of the experience put it beside the experience. The starting line will mark the earliest experience that impacted your life. Continue along the course chronologically listing your experiences. Consider using post-it notes before completing the foldout in order to map the life experiences chronologically. Refer to the example below.
