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The Playful Way to
Knowing Yourself
by Roberta Allen
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This book offers a unique approach that allows you to see yourself from
angles and perspectives you would not otherwise see. All you need to do is be
open-minded, curious, and willing to respond instantly and imaginatively to
exercises that invite you to explore your memories and beliefs, your desires
and dreams, your secrets and fears, and how you relate to others.

The process is simple, easy, and fun. At the very least, you will get
surprising glimpses of yourself. At best, you will have deep insights that
lead you to action or to accepting yourself just as you are.
The loosening-up exercises that begin each section are intended to get you
going. Read each question and quickly write whatever comes to
mind.
If you were asked to choose seven words to describe yourself, what would they
be?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
If you were asked to choose seven objects that have meaning for you, what objects would you choose?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
If you were asked to choose seven colors that have meaning for you, what would you choose?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
If you were asked to choose seven places that have meaning for you, what places would you choose?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would you use to describe your mother?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would you use to describe your father?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What Words Would Your Mother use to describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would your father use to describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would you use to describe your spouse, partner, or best friend?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would you use to describe your enemies?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would your spouse, partner, or best friend use to describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What words would your enemies use to describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What feelings describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What habits describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What beliefs describe you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What else describes you?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
© Copyright 2003
Roberta Allen. All Rights
Reserved. Excerpt from THE PLAYFUL WAY TO KNOWING YOURSELF: A Creative Workbook to
Inspire Self-Discovery (Houghton Mifflin, April 2003)


Roberta Allen is an author, artist, teacher and coach, who has helped thousands of people. Her latest books are THE PLAYFUL WAY TO KNOWING YOURSELF and THE PLAYFUL WAY TO SERIOUS WRITING, both published by Houghton Mifflin. She is also the author of two story collections, praised by The New York Times Book Review, a novel and a novella-in-stories, praised by the Village Voice, a travel memoir and a writing guide, both selections of the Quality Paperback Book Club. She is on the faculty of New School University, has taught in the writing program at Columbia University, and in many private workshops. She is also a visual artist who has exhibited worldwide, with work in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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