ACTIVITY: The 15-Minute, Alternative Autobiography
Write a short autobiography, focusing on key moments where you felt intense emotions.
Every so often, I’ll suggest a short activity to help you feel less overwhelmed and more purposeful. You should be able to complete it in less than 15 minutes.
If you had to tell your life story in 15 minutes, what would you say?
Most likely you’d follow a chronological formula, starting at birth, proceeding swiftly through childhood and adolescence, and on to a few key moments of adulthood. Perhaps you’d end at present day—since your life isn’t over yet!—and offer a preview of where you think you’re headed next.
Nothing wrong with that—but here’s another way to think of it.
Write a short autobiography focused on key emotional experiences. Instead of starting with "I was born on...", begin with an emotion. For example: “One time I felt truly proud was..."
Thinking about a time you felt proud (for example) enables you to be more in touch with a deeper part of yourself, as opposed to a mere chronology of life events.
The questions below might help.
5 Prompts for Your Alternative Autobiography
"The moment I felt most alive was..."
"I never felt as scared as when..."
"My heart was fullest when..."
“A time when I really felt seen was…”
“I felt rejected when…”
Of course, you could create prompts or questions around other emotions as well: joy, sadness, love, wonder, disappointment, and so on. Don’t be afraid of the “harder” emotions like fear and hurt—they can teach us something, too.
Whatever you come up with, focus on the core feelings associated with each memory. How did you experience the emotion physically? How did it change your perspective?
By reconnecting with these emotional milestones, you may find yourself more grounded in the present moment, with a deeper appreciation for the richness of your lived experience.
What’s a memory that comes up as you explore your life through key emotions?
I had just graduated from Energy Healer school, winning second place in the calligraphy competition.
A spiritual teacher gave me a hug. Usually, parts of me long for recognition, connection and affirmation. So usually this hug would be very moving and meaningful to me.
But I was in a different state of consciousness, in which I felt completely whole, and so, while I felt connected and present to being hugged, it didn’t elicit any of those younger parts of me whatsoever. As I noticed that I was completely unblended from those younger parts of me, my state of consciousness went into a stratospherically different space. It was one of the highest states of consciousness I’ve ever experienced.
Another spiritual teacher came to talk to me about a friend of mine, who was having a bit of a breakdown as a result of the intensity of the training. I received what he had to say with total equanimity — absolutely no drama, no stress, just pure presence.
He was surprised. Recognizing my unusual state of consciousness, he said, “Oh, you are very organized.“
I said, from that deep place where I was, simply: “Yes.“
I walked up the hill and sat on a bench. I looked at the extreme blue sky as the sun set in the Arizona desert. I had no thoughts. It was as if I had become the entire sky. The peace was astounding. The silence was stupendous.
These questions are helpful for anyone trying to be more introspective. Thank you.