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EXERCISE | Self Analysis

Influential Events
It is important to think right back to the moment of your birth and work your way forward in age
groups to the present moment. From the moment you were born, forces were at work that
would determine the outcomes of your life. From all that you know from what you were told by
your parents, siblings and others, form a mental picture of what life must have been like in your
family at the time of your arrival.
Were you born into an under privileged, poor, dysfunctional or battle-weary family, or was life
more comfortable and enriched for you? Were there negative influencing factors such as
alcohol, violence, disharmony, abuse or financial pressure or were your early years filled with
healthy solid, happy foundations? Either way, was the correct quality and quantity of
unconditional love present in those early years? These may be difficult issues for to even
consider let alone confront, but the process is worthwhile to get to the crux of what started the
chain of events and experiences that helped form your present self.
Take up your private notepad and allocate a separate page for the age groups given.
Consider the critical moments in your life for each group. This will require all of your powers of
recall, trawling your memories to arrive at your true analysis of self.

· Stage 1: 0 to 6 Up to early Childhood
· Stage 2: 6 to 12 Up to Junior School Years

· Stage 3: 12 to 18 Adolescence
· Stage 4: 19 to 40 Young Adulthood
· Stage 5: 40 -65 Middle Adulthood

· Stage 6: 65 Onward - Late Adulthood
For each stage of your life, up to the age you have reached now, we will consider the key
factors affecting your development.
Referring back to the Erikson table, remind yourself of the influential events that occurred in
each phase of your life.
For each critical moment you identify, ask yourself questions to place yourself in the real
moment of time that is relevant.

The answers you truthfully arrive at will form a sound basis from which to move forward to that
life of authenticity and happiness you are seeking.

Questions to prompt you:
· Where are you at this moment?
· How old are you and what do you look like?
· Who is there with you? Who is supposed to be?
· What is happening that makes this moment so influential?
· What emotions or changes of emotions are you feeling now ? Loneliness? Anger? Fear?
Confusion? Joy? Power? Helplessness?
· How would you change the experience if this were possible?
· What is your mental/physical experience? Clarity/confusion? Happy/sad? Joy/pain?
Weak/strong?
· If you could speak to someone, who? What would you say?
· What are you saying to yourself?
· What do you need right now more than anything else?