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5. Starting with the Good Stuff - The "My Life Statement"

5.1. What Does The Phrase "My Life Statement" Mean?

Everyone’s definition of a good life may be different. The components of a good life can be based on common aspects of life everyone experiences, but what is important to remember is that your definition of life reflects who you are as a person and what is most important and unique in giving your life meaning. We each lead a life that is complex and covers many dimensions; therefore many different aspects of living contribute to our understandings of what gives life value.

LET’S START WITH THE BASICS

A quality environment has been defined as having:

	Our very basic needs provided – food, shelter, safety, and social contact;
	A range of opportunities that help us experience our individual potential; and,
	Some control and choices within our environment.[7]

One way of describing your life is to break down these basics into 3 ways of understanding ourselves:

1.	BEING - Who you are;
2.	BELONGING - How you fit in to the world around you;
3.	BECOMING - What you would like to do and be.

Does thinking about all of this sound like a lot of hard work? It is! But this is important, not only as a way to begin your “Will to Live,” but also as a tool to better understand what’s important for you in your daily living, and in figuring out your future possibilities and goals. Try pacing yourself a question at a time, and if you can’t think of any answer to one question, move to another within the My Life statement section of this workbook. What is most important is that you have an idea about what you value in your life so you can communicate that to your loved ones, your support circle, and your health care providers. Remember, persons who have never experienced living with a disability may have no idea that you lead a satisfying, rich, full life – this is your opportunity to express your life! Find a quiet space, gather what you need to record your answers, and jump in!


5.2. Being: Who I Am

1)	I consider myself to be a person in excellent/good/fair/poor health (circle one) the majority of the time.
2)	My strongest physical characteristic is my ____________________________________________________________ (stamina, strength in a certain part of my body, sensory ability, appearance, or whatever is most appropriate.)
3)	The physical characteristic with which I struggle the most is _________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________
4)	I like to be very/somewhat/not very (circle one) physically active.
5)	Social/physical/emotional barriers that prevent me from being active are _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
6)	If mobility restrictions make it difficult for me to attend to my own hygiene, it is very important/somewhat important/not very important (circle one) for my personal care to be conducted in a way that respects my privacy and dignity.
7)	If I need assistance eating, the following is important to me: _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
8)	Feeling safe where I live is very important/important/not very important (circle one) to me.
9)	Privacy is very important/important/not very important (circle one) to me.
10)	The following are aspects of privacy that are significant to my life: (check all that are applicable)
___	Privacy in communication (telephone calls, mail, computer communication, other)
___	Privacy in my daily physical maintenance (using the washroom, bathtub/shower, eating, taking medication, other health-related procedures, other);
___	Privacy in my relationships with others;
___	Respect for my personal property.
11)	Having opportunities to make my own decisions and determine my life’s goals and directions is very important/somewhat important/not very important (circle one) to me.
12)	I value my independence very much/somewhat/not very much (circle one.)
13)	Living independently means ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________
14)	I find my life most stressful when ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
15)	I find myself most relaxed when ____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________
16)	Losing physical capacity is less/more stressful (circle one) if I know I can still make decisions and direct what is happening to me.
17)	Some things that give my life meaning are ________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ (relationships, religious beliefs, creative expression – feel free to be general or specific.)
18)	I find helping others in need to be very important/somewhat important/not very important (circle one).
19)	I have strong/moderate/not very strong (circle one) ideas about my own spirituality.
20)	I have a strong/moderate/not very strong sense of hope for the future.

5.3. Belonging: My Place in the World

21)	Having a place to call my own (a home or apartment) is very/somewhat/not at all (circle one) important to me.
22)	Living in my current neighbourhood is very/somewhat/not at all (circle one) important to me.
23)	My cultural or ethnic background plays a very/somewhat/not at all important (circle one) role in my life.
24)	My support circle includes _________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________
25)	Going to places in my community (shopping, restaurants, place of worship, concerts, movies, etc.) is very/somewhat/not at all important (circle one) to me.
26)	Having access to meaningful work activities is very/somewhat/not at all important (circle one) to me.
27)	Having access to education is very/somewhat/not at all (circle one) important to me.
28)	Having access to professional services (medical, social, personal) is very/somewhat/not at all (circle one) important to me.
29)	When I think of larger social groups, the one(s) to which I feel I belong to most are ___________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

5.4. Becoming: What I Want to Do, What I Want to Be

30)	Skills I haven’t acquired but I still want to achieve include _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
31)	One place I love to visit is ____________________________
32)	If I could go anywhere, I would like to visit _________________________________________________________________
33)	When there is an unexpected change in my life, I cope by (check all that apply):
___	Improving whatever skill set is needed to adjust to the change;
___	Obtaining new information and increasing my knowledge about the circumstances of the change;
___	Resolving conflicts connected with the change;
___	Consulting with others in order to solve problems connected with the change;
___	Looking at the change from a new perspective I haven’t considered before;
___	Ignoring any problems associated with the change;
___	I don’t cope well at all.

5.5. Summary: My Life Statement

Answering all those questions is a brave, courageous act of self-examination. Congratulate yourself! Take some time to look over what you’ve recorded, and try to sum up what you have realized about your own life. One suggestion is to divide your summary into 3 paragraphs.

Paragraph 1: Describe those aspects of your life connected to your sense of “being” – who you are as a person. You can include comments about the quality of your physical being, the quality of relationship you have with yourself, and ways you think and act independently. This is also an opportunity for you to summarize any personal values or beliefs that contribute to your life.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 2: Describe those aspects of yourself that relate to your sense of “belonging” – your place in the world. You can include comments about your physical surroundings – where you live, and what is important to you about your physical environment. You could describe your relationships with others, and how that contributes to your life, your cultural identity, and the value interaction with your community has for you. This could also include your involvement in school, your job, and larger community events.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 3: Describe those aspects of yourself that relate to your sense of “becoming” – what you want to do and be. This could include a description of the purposeful activities which giving meaning to your life, the ambitions and dreams you have for your future, ways you are striving for self-improvement, and how you adjust to life’s changes and difficulties.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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This summary can be used as part of the documents found in the appendices that you can give to your physician, your substitute decision-maker and other designated person(s). See Section 11.

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7	Quality of Life Research Unit. Quality of Life Research Profile for Adults. Department of Public Health Sciences. University of Toronto. www.utoronto.ca/qol/profile/adultVersion.html

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