Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

What do you know?

Self-fulfilling prophecy

■ Our beliefs about what we think we can accomplish and what others tell us we can accomplish have a huge impact on how we interact with people and what we get out of those interactions.

■ We are more likely to become what we truly believe we are - whether it’s true or not.

What we

believe about ourselves

How we act

What others believe about us

How others

act toward us

(S)He believes it’s true

Child doesn’t

study and fails

Others form the belief the child is stupid

A child is told (s)he is stupid

For example…

We are what we expect

■ What we believe becomes our experience, not because it is the only option, but because we choose to act in ways that affirm our beliefs

■ Interrupting the self-fulfilling prophecy cycle at any stage can begin to change what we believe is possible.

Exercise

How do self-fulfilling prophecies play out in your life?

Let’s hear your examples…

What’s the good news?

■ Self-fulfilling prophecies aren’t always a bad thing (they are what we make them).

■ The more you orient to positive beliefs, the more your brain will use them (choose those beliefs) over the negative ones.

Find a buddy

■ What are you learning from this conversation?

■ How can you apply this to your team?■ To your life goals?

Homework Assignment

STEP ONEIdentify a self-fulfilling prophecy that you want

to begin to change to a more positive self-fulfilling prophecy

Homework Assignment

STEP TWOIdentify different qualities you would have

and/or things you would accomplish if you fulfilled this new positive prophecy.

Homework Assignment

STEP THREECreate something that illustrates what we would

see when you begin to live your positive self-fulfilling prophecy.

■ Include qualities and accomplishments■ Create something that you can show in class and

print a copy for your binder

Homework Assignment

STEP THREE: EXAMPLESA Vision Board

Homework Assignment

STEP THREE: EXAMPLESA Drawing or Painting

Homework Assignment

STEP THREE: EXAMPLESA Poem

Homework Assignment

STEP THREE: EXAMPLESA Collage

Homework Assignment

STEP THREE: EXAMPLESA Song

Homework Assignment

STEP THREE: EXAMPLESA Short Comic/Graphic Strip

Homework Assignment

STEP ONE: Identify a self-fulfilling prophecy that you want to begin to change to a more positive self-fulfilling prophecy

STEP TWO: Identify different qualities you would have and/or things you would accomplish if you fulfilled this new positive prophecy.

STEP THREE: Create something that illustrates what we would see when you begin to live your positive self-fulfilling prophecy.

Examples: Vision boardDrawing/Painting with wordsPoemCollageSongGraphic Comic Strip