Final Project: Personal Narrative Psy230

Final Project: Personal Narrative

When talking about how life has changed over the last five years, I can look back

and say that I truly did not expect to be where I am today. At this time, back in 2005, I was

sitting in a prison bed, locked up, and learning a valuable lesson! While being there, I had

nothing but time to think about my past and what I could do to change the direction of where I

was heading. I decided when I was released that changing my environment would be the most

helpful to me. With that, I left prison, moved to Leander, TX, and I started my life again. A few

months later, I met Colt, and we have been together ever since. I think Colt is the reason I have

had such an ability to change what I want out of life. I decided to go to college, and a year later

here I am. I think that the evolution that led me to where I am now is my maturity level has gone

up, and sometimes I feel like I am a whole new person.

I think that some of the reason I am the way I am today is because of Bandura’s theory

of “modeling therapy.”   I got to see in prison (firsthand) all the women that were acting like I

had been acting in the past, and to me, it was a very powerful motivation tool to change my life.

Seeing other people heading the same way you are heading can be helpful to help change your

life, if that is what you want. I have also had to learn more self-control to help me not be so

impulsive like I used to be. I try to keep behavioral diaries for my smoking because I am trying

to quit. I can see that I smoke the most when I am just waking up, and after meals. With that

knowledge, when it comes time to quit, I am going to have a better chance to quit because

I know when my weakest times are. I also find it very helpful to make self-contracts. When I

accomplish a goal, I reward myself, and when I do not accomplish a goal, I try to punish myself

in different ways. I have found this... [continues]

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