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Life Span

Life Span Project

11/18/2008

During adolescents Keith valued time with his family but like most he would have rather been with his friends. Material possessions were very important then. “If you wore name brand clothes, you were more liked than if you wore the other stuff” says Keith, “It was all about fitting in with the popular crowd which I never really did”. Now that Keith is an adult, being with family is the most important aspect of life. Keith says that “friendships are good and I enjoy having them but my family come first and I still like having nice things but I know now that some things are necessary while others are not”. During the teen years, Keith was in a hurry to grow up and get away from home. Being own his own was the most important to him. It meant having no one to answer to, being free from being told what to do and just doing what he wanted, “well that is what I thought it meant” Keith.

As a teen, consequences of actions were rarely thought about. Drinking, getting high and smoking were thought of as just stuff to do with friends. “As long as I was having fun was all that really mattered. Even if someone got hurt as long as it wasn’t me I was ok with it” Keith. Now consequences of actions are thought out much differently. “Things I do can have an effect on my marriage and family life. What’s wrong and what’s right have changed” Keith. Family if always thought of first. The desire to work hard and make a living is for the benefit of the family.

According to Kail and Cavanaugh, creating possible selves that represent what we could become, what we would like to become, and what we are afraid of becoming. We project ourselves into the future and create scenario about what we might be like. Keith’s possible self motivated him to work toward moving out on his own which he created a scenario of freedom from being told what to do.

In response to an effort of personal growth, possible selves may change or...