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In this first stage, which takes place within the first two years of life, we are learning to develop trust (or mistrust) in the world and those around us. The critical key to this stage is "sensitive, responsive, consistent caregiving" (p. 151).

In my life, I resolved this with trust. My mother was committed, comforting, and present during this time when it was important for her to be.

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Stage Two: "Autonomy v. Shame and Guilt"

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Stage Two: "Autonomy v. Shame and Guilt"

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The second stage usually takes place from 2-4 years old. In this stage, we are working through the struggle of whether we will become more autonomous, or if we will be filled with guilt and shame.

In my life, I resolved to be an autonomous child. My parents provided me with the foundation to make choices for myself by providing me with reasonable options to choose from. My parents reinforced this behavior each time, providing me with "a sense of pleasure or accomplishment" (p. 222) every time I repeated the behavior.

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While we are in our preschool years, typically four to five years of age, we struggle with initiative and guilt.

In my life, I have resolved to be someone who takes initiative rather than feel guilt. My older sister and my parents let me try many things and in most scenarios it paid off. I even taught myself to ride a bike without any outside instruction. When I did, my parents were specific in why they were praising me. This helped me realize what they were praising me for, and helped me to "persevere in the face of failure" (p. 209).

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Can I accomplish something that I want to do?

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In this stage, children, who are typically between the ages of six and eleven, are beginning to discover their individuality and personal interests. Kids may not be good at they want to do. If that's the case, they will face the choice to work for their interests or the feeling of inferiority.

At this age in my life where children typically face this crisis, I resolved to go after my interests anyway and found that it was okay if those interests changed. It was important for me to resolve the crisis this way because it taught me that "learning to work hard to achieve goals" (p. 276) is a very valuable skill.

However, this crisis specifically continues to come back and rear its ugly head. There have been many times over the decade that I have felt inferior and given up. I am not as determined and strong-minded as I was when I initially faced this crisis.

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Stage Five: "Identity v. Role Confusion"

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Stage Five: "Identity v. Role Confusion"

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In this stage, adolescents, who can range from twelve to eighteen, are trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. This time also typically contains a psychosocial moratorium, or "a period of time that allows young people to search for commitments to which they can be faithful" (p. 336).

In my life, I already had a strong view of who I was and who I wanted to be as a person. The real crisis came when I lost a lot of my friends just before graduating high school and had to decide whether our friendship was worth saving and whether I actually wanted that person in my life or not. Ultimately, I believe I have come out of that crisis with a strong sense of personal identity.

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In our younger adult years, we are establishing and building relationships. Meaningful relationships can lead to intimacy, while struggle-filled relationships can lead to isolation and loneliness. During this time, young-adults will meet many different milestones including "entering college, working, moving away from home, getting married, and having children—and the order and timing of these transitions vary" (p. 356).

According to ages, this is the phase I am going through right now. I suffer from social anxiety and prefer a few really close friends to having tons of good friends. As such, forming new bonds and pursuing new relationships is not very appealing to me. There are so many things I want to experience, but I don't want the things that come with them. If you ask my mom, she will say I will eventually resolve this with intimacy rather than isolation. But as for me, I don't see any option other than isolation. I suppose I will just have to see where God leads me in my life.

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Stage Seven: "Generativity v. Stagnation"

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Stage Seven: "Generativity v. Stagnation"

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In this stage, mid-life adults can feel a sense of care and responsibility. They feel more inclined to mentor or passing information to younger generations. In doing so, they "encourage exploration and learning, lead developmentally appropriate activities, and guide" (p. 4) those in the younger generations. If they can't, they can feel stagnant or restless.

Although I have yet to reach this point in my life, I have so many hopes and dreams. I would love to be a mom, have a successful career as a teacher, and live a comfortable life as best I can on a public elementary school teacher's salary, ha-ha. I also dream to have a Tesla one day, but that's probably my most unrealistic dream. These hopes and dreams, no matter how unrealistic, will hopefully keep me going and moving rather than becoming stagnant.

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This stage, centering around late adulthood, is where people start to look back at their life and think about what they have accomplished.

It's important to remember that, for as long as we live, "we each continue to write and experience the story of human development for ourselves and our society" (p. 357). This can help keep the positivity in our minds when we look back.

Although I have not reached this stage in my life, I am currently trying my best to live my life with as little regrets as possible. I do my best to do the right thing, help others, and live as God intends for me to live. As long as I do this, I believe that there should be no regrets in a meaningful life.