2.  is who you are  it is a combination of your personality traits, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, interests and values

3.  Factors out of our control that help shape our identity include the following:  Cosmic - e.g. your birth, God  Genetic - genes have a strong influence on who you are  Cultural - you had no control over the culture you were born and raised in  Circumstances - e.g. major historical events, accidents, chance meeting etc., --> occurrences that seem to be pure luck or pure misfortune

4.  is the healthy ability to shape your own life  Identity and autonomy correlate to each other; a strong sense of identity helps you to become autonomous.  An autonomous person understands he/she is independent as well as interdependent with others.

5. There are two types of False Autonomy  Groupthink – is when people in the transitional period make a sharp break from their parents and adopt the practices and views of a different group, e.g. a cult. In this way, they have only traded one form of dependency for another.  The “Jailbreak” Marriage – in the desire to be free of their own family, some people contract into another family, e.g. they get married without the necessary maturity and skills to make it work.

6.  Psychologists who have studied human development have outlined the STAGES of a person’s life and growth in a variety of ways. Eight Stages with Transitions A typical outline of how a human life develops includes 8 stages:  Infancy  Early childhood  Play age  School age  Adolescence+ a transition period  Young adulthood between each  Adulthood  Mature adulthood

7.  TRANSITION: to go across, to pass. It implies a certain degree of danger, but also opportunity.  Reactions to TRANSITION: denial, anger, frustrations, depression, emotional turmoil, wishes to be free and safe at once, eventually acceptance.

8. 1. Shaping an identity – Who am I?  What sense do I have of myself? 2. Becoming autonomous  to become more independent physically, financially, intellectually, emotionally 3. Constructing and living out a value system  childhood values directed by parents, school, church are challenged to direct their own lives using their own values

9. 4. Being capable of a loving commitment  slow in their ability to sustain and commit themselves to a stable loving relationship with one person 5. Reflecting on religion  many reject religious practices that have been part of their lives. Must make a personal search for a religious practice that expresses their faith. 6. Making friends and living with intimacy  wide range of emotional and intellectual experiences to share

10. 7. Integrating sexuality  developing a set of values to guide sexual expression and appreciate the role of sex in life 8. Gaining competence  in intellectual, physical, relational skills 9. Selecting a career and taking an adult job  preparing for a career, developing structured career skills

11. 10. Using leisure time for renewal  need to determine how to use leisure time in the best way for them 11. Taking part in the broader community  at 18 can vote  influence local, provincial and national politics  question their role in the world community

12.  Knowing yourself involves honestly addressing these questions:  What am I feeling?  What do I want?  What are people telling me?  What are my talents?  What is out of my control and within?  Your responses to the above questions help shape who you are – your identity.