The Life Wheel:

7 Aspects of Who You Are

by

Revel Miller, Ph.D.

Psychologist

© 2014
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 2

The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are

by

Revel Miller, Ph.D.

Introduction___________________________________________

As human beings develop, they begin to understand themselves, others and life. They create their
own world view - how they comprehend the world. They learn from direct experience with their
family, friends, tribe, teachers, culture, environment, animals, nature and other influences. We
are all shaped by our internal and external environments.

Over the past decades, I have tried to make sense of our lives as human beings. I have studied
many disciplines, travelled extensively, and lived and worked in foreign countries trying to solve
this mystery. I have also actively sought understanding by taking on challenges, trying out
different types of growth experiences, and engaging in my own psychotherapy. I have
experimented with many other approaches to discover the basic elements of who we are as
human creatures here on earth. I have considered many possibilities, rejected some and
incorporated others into my perspective on humanity. Here is my current conclusion – a simple
yet integrated view on who we are as organisms in perpetual development.

7 Aspects of a Human Being______________________________

I have distilled my worldview and beliefs down to The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are.
These represent the 7 core attributes or elements of human beings. See if this model makes sense
to you.

This perspective influences how I understand myself and others. My personal understanding
also impacts how I work with patients and clients to help them achieve their personal goals and
improve their perceived quality of life. These 7 qualities can be considered to be integral “parts”
of our nature, the innate traits or characteristics that determine who we are. These combined
ingredients makeup our recipe as a human being.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 3

The Life Wheel encompasses 7 human attributes: 1) Self Aspect, 2) Behavioral Aspect, 3)
Social Aspect, 4) Physical Aspect, 5) Emotional Aspect, 6) Mental Aspect and 7) Spiritual
Aspect. These natural qualities are described and diagrammed below.

You might ask, “Why do you portray these 7 properties as an image of a wheel?”

I chose the wheel image because it symbolically demonstrates three vital things.

First, we are in perpetual movement and developing throughout our entire lives, from birth to
death. We are all in motion and evolving. Although the change and growth process is most
evident during the first 20 years of human life, all people are dynamic, constantly growing and
shifting inwardly and outwardly throughout their entire lives. Just as the external world is always
in flux, human development, for individuals and groups, never stops. We are constantly changing
and evolving into something new.

We experience the passage of time through our interaction with the external world as well as the
changes and shifts that occur in our inner world over time. Nobody would declare at 60 that they
were the same person at 20 or 30 or 40 years of age. Our lives seem to keep “rolling” forward
like a wheel. And like a moving wheel, the ride can be smooth or rough, fast or slow, with many
bumps along its way.

My second reason for selecting the wheel image is because it elegantly illustrates how each
individual is made up of distinct parts that are inter-connected and influence one another. We are
composed of integral components. Although we are connected to, part of and immersed in a
much grander universe, we are self-contained like an individual wheel.

The third reason for choosing the symbol of the circular wheel is that it indicates that we are
individuals and that we have our inner core or hub of the wheel. This clearly represents our Self.
And like all other living beings, we are a distinct and unique entity, interacting with yet separate
from all other manifestations. We are surrounded by a boundary or barrier like a membrane that
encloses us. This membrane is porous and may filter things through it from the outside to the
inside and vice versa. But nevertheless, we are protected and secured as individual identities.

For me, all of our different personal characteristics, abilities, traits, qualities and experiences fall
within and amongst these 7 aspects. You can locate them there, somewhere.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 4

Your 7 Aspects______________________________________________

1. Your Self Aspect –

The Self is the internal core quality of each individual. This is your center or sense of “I”. It
is represented as the hub of The Life Wheel. All of your experiences and human aspects
touch, influence, interact with and revolve around your inner Self. This includes how you
experience and perceive yourself as a distinct individual. This Self is totally invisible and
intangible. Nevertheless it is perceived as fully vibrant and alive within you. All people feel
as if they have some kind of inner Self.

Some refer to this Self as their “soul”, “ego”, “psyche” or inner psychological “being”. Some
believe that we have higher and lower selves within. The Self is your identity of who you are.
At times you may experience it as whole and consistent, while at other times experience it as
multi-dimensional, fragmented or inconsistent and changing. Through life, you judge or rate
your Self as you form your self-identity, self-esteem and self-concept. The Self is your sense
of who you are.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 5

I believe that this Self attribute is the most unique characteristic that differentiates you from
other living organisms and animals on earth. It is this Self, along with your mental faculties,
that seems to analyze and reflect on who you are and make meaning out of your life as you
strive to find purpose. No other animals are known to have this innate ability to create
meaning and self-identity.

At times you nurture and support your Self. At others, you may castigate and hate your Self.
You can praise and be proud of who you are. Or, you can be quite critical and judgmental of
your Self. Sometimes you acknowledge that you have a Self while at others you may ignore
your Self as if it does not exist.

Your Self needs to be defended and strengthened in order for you to have a fulfilling and
gratifying life; express your strengths and gifts; have pleasant life experiences; and ward off
trauma and setbacks.

Also unique to human beings, is the inner experience of familiar “inner voices” that speak to
us. We tend to trust, believe in and listen to their internal monologue and believe what they
tell us. I am not talking about auditory hallucinations here. I am focusing on the automatic
and unsolicited “self-talk” that you experience and allow to direct and interfere in your life.

Unfortunately, these voices tend to polarize you internally with extreme positions and
represent dualistic sides of your Self – positive and negative. Seldom do they present
themselves as neutral or unbiased. However, some of the statements by your inner voice may
be realistically positive, supporting and accurate.

More often, however, you probably listen to statements that are negative and critical. They
can be very inaccurate, exaggerated and self-deprecating. They successfully destroy the self-
confidence that you work hard to build. These voices can tear down the self-esteem that you
deserve from your accumulated accomplishments. Managing these ever-present, demeaning
little “devils” or “gremlins” is an important part of protecting and defending your Self. You
need to recognize them for what they are and learn how to deal with them effectively. Allow
yourself to have more faith in your positive inner voices that spur you on to a better quality
of life.

2. Your Behavioral Aspect –

Human behavior includes your physical actions, movements and how you express yourself.
Your behavior may be conscious, planned and purposeful or unconscious, automatic and
habitual. In other words, it may be within your awareness and control and performed
decisively and with discipline. Or, your behavior may be out of your awareness and control,
reactive or impulsive. Your behaviors express your Self. They represent how you function
alone or in response to others.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 6

Behavior encompasses how you act or perform from second to second throughout your
lifetime. Your behavior is judged by others and may present itself within normal limits or it
may be quite unusual. You are responsive to your environment and you influence things and
others around you through your behavior. You may also refer to your behavior as how you
handle or manage yourself, your comportment, mannerisms, style, routines and speech. You
usually behave in accordance with your belief systems, your cultural norms and your ethical
standards.

As a human, you express and regulate your emotions and ideas, your values and morals, your
beliefs and ideals through your bodily actions. You can be highly controlled or very
spontaneous, flexible or inflexible, and open or closed. At times you are aware of how your
behaviors affect others. At other times, you may be oblivious of your impact on other people.
Sometimes you care how you impress others. While at other times, you may show no
concern about how others regard your behaviors.

You are probably comfortable expressing some behaviors that seem to be automatic and
habitual. Other behaviors may be new. So, you experiment and try new behaviors to test how
they work and feel. Some behaviors take a lot of practice and talent to acquire. Some are
easier to learn. With others, you may find yourself to be quite clumsy and awkward.

3. Your Social Aspect –

You are a social animal. You live and interact with other people, usually on a daily basis.
You may have joined together with a mate to create off-spring and to parent children. You
interact with strangers as well as colleagues and friends. You join others to form
partnerships, families, teams, groups, organizations, companies, communities as well as your
nation and culture. The quality of your social interactions may be highly participatory and
functional or poor and limited.

There is a broad continuum of socialization among humans. The extent of your social
interactions may be quite expansive and group oriented. Or, you may remain quite isolated,
avoidant and solitary in your interpersonal reactions. At times you may be very open and
intimate with others, deriving great satisfaction from your social interactions. That’s when
you seek out others for enjoyment. However, you may also find yourself keeping people at a
distance, feeling closed and uncomfortable. There may be occasions when you experience
mild to intense levels of fear when with others. At these times you may find yourself
withdrawing from social interactions.

At times, interpersonal experiences are painful and disturbing while at other times your
communications may be very gratifying and pleasurable. You may enjoy many love
relationships and sexuality. But you could also have few intimate relationships and avoid
sexual relations. Interpersonal relationships can be very harmonious and pleasurable. They
can also become quite conflictual and painful. Sometimes you feel needy and dependent
upon others, while at other times you are self-sufficient and independent.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 7

4. Your Physical Aspect –

You have a physical body that you “live” in. This is the important concrete element in your
self-identity. You may tend to define yourself by your body. For many people, we are our
body. Your physical form may or may not be a cardinal aspect of your self-identity.

Your body allows you to express yourself, receive sensations and experience the world
directly. Through your physical being, you move and behave, experience the 5 senses (see,
smell, taste, touch and hear), take actions, perform and function. This is your most material
and tangible attribute of your humanity.

You may have either a great deal of control or limited control over your body and its
development and aging. Your body may be healthy and highly functional and adaptive. Or, it
may not function well and assert certain limits upon you. You might be physically healthy or
you may suffer with injuries, disease or illness. If your body is seriously neglected,
mistreated, injured or diseased, you will die.

You relate to your body and you may love it, tolerate it or hate it. You may or may not be
comfortable in your own “skin” and use it with or without joy or coordination. Through
practice, you can shape and develop the appearance and functioning of your body and its
level of healthy functioning.

We are all responsible for how we care for our bodies. You may take good care of your body
and strive for health. Or, you may ignore your body as if it is a “machine”, not an important
living characteristic of who you are. At times you may neglect and abuse it carelessly,
pretending that your physical body is not a significant aspect of who you are.

5. Your Emotional Aspect –

Humans experience inner emotions, feelings and affects. These are physical sensations and
reactions that you “feel” inside your body. You may refer to your internal feeling activity as
“sentiments” or “passions”. They usually arise in reaction to your thoughts, interactions,
experiences and memories. At times your emotions will “move” or “touch” you internally.
They motivate and drive your behaviors and thoughts. Persistent, over-riding emotions are
referred to as moods or temperament.

Your emotions are experienced along a continuum ranging from very mild to very intense.
They fluctuate between being very positive, high pleasure and euphoric feelings as in love
and joy to being experienced as very negative and highly painful, such as despair and hatred.
You experience a broad spectrum of affect.

You may usually believe that external events trigger your emotions. However, many of your
feelings are physical reactions to your own internal mental thoughts, beliefs, expectations and

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 8

memories. Therefore, you do have some control over and responsibility for your emotions
and their behavioral expression.

Due to the intensity of your inner affect, you often consciously try to control your feelings
and how you express them. In order to defend yourself against painful emotions, you have a
conscious and an unconscious ability to control and instantaneously defend yourself against
intense pleasure and pain by dampening, flattening or denying your inner feelings from being
directly experienced and expressed.

As you live, you are constantly in some form of emotion. When your feelings are hardly
noticeable, you may feel like you are in neutral. However, in reality, you are constantly
reacting emotionally to your thoughts, memories and the environment. Your emotions may
not be perceived by you consciously because they are at a low activity level.

You may be open to acknowledging your feelings as well as expressing and talking about
them. But at times you may be more private and avoidant. That is when you limit or block
the expression of and discussion about your emotions. You may often judge your emotions as
good or bad, and try to distance or deny that you experience highly painful or negative
affects. Nevertheless, they do move you to action and are felt within your body and are part
of your self-identity.

Emotionally, most healthy humans are similar. No matter what your age, race, culture or
gender, most of us are capable of experiencing the same full array of internal feelings from
pleasure to pain. You experience joy and you also suffer emotionally. There is no escape.

As you grew from an infant to an adult, you learned to regulate and modulate your feelings
and how to express them appropriately. You may be quite aware of your inner affects and
comfortable with them, even if painful. However, you may also find yourself uncomfortable
with some emotions and try to avoid them altogether. At times, like in traumatic events or
unexpected losses, you may become overwhelmed by your feelings.

6. Your Mental Aspect –

The mental Aspect refers to your intellectual processing, thinking and analyzing thoughts.
Most likely, you experience these coming from your brain or “mind”. You probably perceive
and associate your mental center as coming from your head area in your body. Although your
thoughts are invisible, instruments can detect electrical nerve activity or “firings” in your
brain associated with thought processing.

Your thoughts include a horde of simple and complex sensations, ideas, images, memories,
perceptions, judgments, decisions, beliefs, expectations, assumptions, conclusions and focal
points. Through your mental capacities, you comprehend, understand and make sense of
yourself and the outer world. This is your learning and executive center.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 9

Your thoughts may vacillate between being very clear and logical or quite disorganized and
illogical. Some thoughts may be habitual, repetitive and “automatic”. And, some of your
thinking patterns may be stable, rational and reality oriented. At other times, your mental
processing may be unstable, irrational and fantasy oriented.

You “feel” yourself think and you can write and speak about your ideas. You are also able to
verbally communicate your ideas. You can even perform or draw symbolic images of your
thoughts to communicate their content. At other times, you may be out of touch or your
thought process may be inexpressible.

Your emotions impact the content and quality of your thought processes. You can suffer
emotionally as a reaction to your thoughts and memories. At times you may be in the
moment, quite aware and reality oriented. Some of your thoughts can be very focused and
concentrated on a subject. At other times, when emotional, your thinking can become more
scattered and haphazard, or fragmented and not oriented toward the immediate reality. At
times you may be more practical and demonstrate more common sense than at others.
Sometimes you may feel certain about things, while at others you may experience doubt and
uncertainty within your thoughts.

7. Your Spiritual Aspect –

Most people have a sense that they are spiritual in some way. You probably “feel” an “other
worldliness” about this universe and the planet you live on. You may sense something far
greater and more expansive, beyond your comprehension, that drives the universe.

You may be “religious” in your beliefs and behavior by following religious doctrine. Or, you
may not follow religion at all. You may simply feel a sense of awe about and hold reverence
for the universe that we live in. You may believe in and try to connect with a god-like being,
an ultimate source, a super power, or an over-riding spirit that resides in a higher plane. You
may believe that this presence is almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful, indestructible and
infinite.

Spirituality is highly individualized. Our spiritual attribute may be very private and
confidential. It may be difficult to articulate your spirit because you experience it on a non-
verbal or emotional level. Or, you may feel very comfortable speaking about it publicly or
with others you trust.

You may encounter your spiritual side through sensations or perceptions that inform you that
there is a higher being or greater good, a higher order or presence, a higher meaning or
purpose in the universe for humans to connect with and decipher. At times your spiritual
sense may be somewhat vague and evasive. It may take your interpretation to understand
your inner spiritual inclinations and feelings. You may believe that the “source” comes from
within. On the other hand, you might also understand it as being “out there”, perceiving it as
“Nature”. Or, you may refer to it as “faith”.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 10

You might experience their spiritual being as highly pleasurable and comforting. Or, at times
you may feel that it is judgmental and critical. You may love and be comforted by it.
However, at times you may fear and agonize about it. You may find yourself vacillating
between any combination of these beliefs and experiences.

Our spirit seems to gravitate toward beliefs in some form or another, be it simple or complex.
You may claim that there is a large, all-encompassing Spirit that is tangible and can be
personally known and communicated with. Or you might believe that a “holy” spirit is
neutral, distant, unreachable, unpredictable, unknowable and mysterious. If you take this
stance, then you must infer or interpret your own spiritual beliefs.

All of us face uncertainty and the unknown. You came into life without an explanation for
why you are here. Other than the drive to survive, we are not pre-programmed with a known
purpose. You must discover meaning and purpose during your lifetime. So, as a human, you
attempt to make meaning out of your life and the universe. You strive to understand and
explain it to your Self. You may turn to people and institutions that present you with
explanations and world views. You may choose to adopt their ideas. Or, you may constantly
find yourself trying to understand it all and explain the mystery to yourself in a private way.

This Life Wheel theory I am presenting to you is my attempt to explain and make some sense
out of who we all are. Your inner spirit is a natural and important aspect that impacts your
daily life.

The Life Wheel _____________________________________________

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 11

Interplay, Interference & Mutual Impact of the 7 Aspects___________

All of these 7 Aspects or faculties that reside in you interact with one another. Each one is
connected to and overlaps with the others. They are interwoven. We are multi-faceted beings
who show different faces to the world and feel different within ourselves, depending upon which
Aspect(s) may be asserting itself most at the moment.

These attributes have the ability to influence and change one another. Each one can disturb and
interfere or nurture and support each of the other elements. These human aspects impact one
another and often compensate for one another as they strive together for a sense of personal
stability, integration and balance. As these qualities affect one another, they can strengthen or
weaken the others. Although balance is the ideal that we strive for, few humans are truly
balanced. You are an ever-changing, dynamic being in flux.

For instance, if you are feeling physical pain or suffering from a chronic illness, then your
mental, emotional and social life will inevitably be affected. You would suffer pain or become
disturbed. If you are not thinking well, your social and behavioral aspects will probably be
disturbed. If you cannot find or sustain satisfying love or social relationships, then you may
experience emotional pain and yearning for more. Imbalance or dysfunction in one attribute
automatically impacts the other six aspects of your life.

These 7 qualities seem to function together simultaneously and can be accessed and talked about
easily. So, as a human being, you are an integration of these 7 elements. You are a true
individual because of the different and unique way these Aspects have developed. Although
many of us share similarities, you are a unique person. There is nobody else just like you. There
never has been and never will be. You are not the same as any other human being because of
your genetics as well as your individual experiences. You live in a different time and place and
consist of different combinations of these human qualities that make up who you are.

As you can tell, I believe that we do know quite a lot about ourselves. And, we can learn much
more about ourselves that is hidden, undetected and unknown. You can put in effort to learn
more and to stimulate changes in yourself where needed. You have the power to modify your
attributes and to transform yourself into a different type of person. I have witnessed it. I have
participated in it. And I have been fortunate to guide some people through this process of
transformation.

Therefore, for any of us who are truly determined, we can transform our lives, our personalities
and how we experience ourselves and the outer world. Within reasonable limits, you are enabled
and empowered to make some changes. But, it takes your conscious effort. It is a journey, an
adventure that you must choose to go on.

And, you must pay the price for something new and better. Change does not come easily. You
must consciously commit and actively engage in a change process. It cannot be given or handed
to you. There is no magical shifting without putting in effort. Just like any athlete or musician
learning to improve their skills, you cannot be a passive recipient or expect any transformation
without expending personal energy. You must explore and utilize these elements to become
what you want to become.
Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053
133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 12

You may strive to maintain alignment, fluidity and cohesion amongst the 7 aspects. Yet you are
probably frequently aware that there is discord, contradiction and chaos amongst the different
elements within you. It is impossible to attend to all of these 7 characteristics simultaneously.

If you put in effort to engage them, you will expand and grow. If you neglect your innate
qualities, you will become less functional. Due to disinterest, they will gradually deteriorate. At
that point, they may wither away and become unnoticed. Or, they may take revenge on you by
trying to get you to attend to their need for nurturance and recognition.

Because we are so variable over time, we may feel as if there is no central “I” or consistent and
reliable Self within us. You may feel a multiplicity of shifting “I's” within you. At times you may
feel uncertain about who you are due to your multiplicity of inner perspectives and
contradictions. You may be proud of some aspects. But you may also be embarrassed by others
and try to hide them or disallow their expression. Tending to your being and your innate
attributes is a constant challenge and calls for vigilance to protect and nurture them to cooperate
and function as cohesively as possible. This is who you are.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 13

Characteristics & Elements of Each Aspect on the The Life Wheel

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 14

The 7 Aspects & Your Quality of Life ___________________________

Because of these 7 different attributes, we have different types of life experiences. My goal with
each of my patients and clients is to help them improve the quality of their life. At times, we all
sense the futility of the life that we lead and face many struggles, frustrations and challenges.

Intuitively, you probably know when you are happy and what personal elements you need to
strengthen. Often, you may acknowledge your strengths. But in addition, you may painfully
recognize your personal weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Many of these strengths and weaknesses
seem to be known or intuited by you. You know your personal gifts, abilities and limits.

I recommend to all my patients and clients that they strive hard to improve their overall quality
of life around these 7 aspects. Your physical and psychological health may be subjectively
measured through the quality of your social and love relationships or your emotions, behaviors,
thoughts, spirituality, physical health and self-esteem. Quality of life can also be rated through
such important things as your goals and values, financial stability, work satisfaction, creativity,
home environment, and sense of well-being. I believe in positive psychology which concentrates
on positive living and leading a healthy, productive and fulfilling lifestyle.

Assess Your Personal Strengths on the 7 Aspects_________________

In the following simple exercise, you can rate your strengths on the 7 Attributes of Who
You Are on The Life Wheel.

Instructions:
Grade yourself on each of the 7 Aspects from 1 to 5 according to the following scale:

I______________I_____________I_______________I______________I
1 2 3 4 5
Much Need for Some Need for No Need for
Improvement Improvement Improvement

___ Self ___ Behavioral ___ Social ___ Physical

___ Emotional ___ Mental ___ Spiritual

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 15

Display Your Strengths on the 7 Aspects of the Life Wheel_________

Now take each individual score you wrote down for the 7 Aspects and enter them on the diagram
below. Draw a solid curved line over the dashes that represent each of your 7 scores. For
instance, if you rated your Physical Aspect as a 3, then draw a line over the dashes under the
number 3. Using a pen, pencil or highlighter, fill in each Aspect up to the solid line. Shade the
area that represents your number up to the dashed line. Do this with all 7 Aspects.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 16

With this completed Self-Assessment Diagram, you now have a visual representation of your 7
Aspects on The Life Wheel. This puts your current evaluation into visual perspective. Now you
can easily see your stronger and weaker attributes. This should help you to focus on utilizing
your strengths and improving your less developed components. All aspects can be strengthened
if you put in the effort to make improvements.

You may want to re-assess yourself in the future to identify if you perceive that any changes
have been made.

Interpret Your Scores:________________________________________

An attribute with a score of 4 or 5 suggests that you are doing quite well with that particular
quality. It is a strength of yours. Use it often and honor your innate ability. Make sure to keep it
healthy, strong and vibrant.

An individual score of 3 suggests an area of growth for you. You could improve this aspect to
experience a better quality of life and well-being.

Scores of 1 or 2 on an attribute indicate a weakness and need for improvement. You are probably
distressed or unhappy with your life in this area and deserve to start taking care of yourself now.
Seek and engage in methods to improve this characteristic to transform your life.

Now you know some areas to take advantage of more frequently and some to pay more attention
to. It is most important to maintain your strengths. Don’t strive to bolster weak areas and thereby
neglect your current areas of strength.

There are many methods you can pursue to improve your quality of life. Most of these
approaches are designed to bolster and improve the aspects of who you are. Therefore, utilizing
psychological, social, educational, physical and spiritual methods can all be sound avenues to
turn to in order to assist you in transforming your life. Be sure to seek help when needed. Choose
competent specialists and proven approaches to assist you in attaining the results that you want.

Summary__________________________________________________

These are my personal beliefs about who we are as human beings, about who you are as a human
being. Hopefully this model provides some insight into how you became who you are now and
gives you some hints about how you can transform into something different in the future.
I have explained a simplistic perspective on how I developed my perspective and understanding
of human beings. I presented how I divide each human being into 7 distinct yet overlapping
attributes common to us all. I believe that each of us is a composite of the following 7 Aspects:
Self, Behavioral, Social, Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual. Everything we do and all
our experiences and capacities are captured within one or more of these seven attributes.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 17

This may or may not make sense to you. It may seem too complex or too simplistic.
Nevertheless, I hope it is helpful and contributes to your understanding about who you are. You
may not agree with all that I presented here. That is fine. Ultimately, I want you to formulate
your own unique perspective and be able to explain it to yourself and to others.
All ideas about human beings meet some resistance from others because none of us come to the
exact same conclusions. We make sense out of our Self and the world through different
experiences and perspectives. Ultimately, each individual human being develops their own
unique world view. And, controversy is a good thing. It confronts us and stimulates us to think,
feel and experience on new and deeper levels. Because of these challenges, we continue to
personally grow and evolve.
I presented to you the 7 attributes of human beings that make up an individual person. It is the
combination of these 7 elements that make each one of us unique and different from others. This
is our individuality. And the process by which we grow and transform is referred to as
“individuation”. There is no end to our ability to grow and evolve further as long as our body
continues to survive.
In addition, I presented you with an exercise to acknowledge and articulate who you are in
regard to these 7 attributes. I asked you to rate yourself on each aspect in order to discover your
strengths and weaknesses, to uncover what you can leverage to your benefit, and to identify what
you might consider strengthening in order to improve your life experience. In therapy with me,
these characteristics are recognized. Together we attempt to develop them further in an
integrated way.
I wanted you to know how I view myself and others so that if you decide to work with me as
your psychotherapist, you will have some familiarity with my worldview. In my work as a
psychologist, I use The Life Wheel perspective to help my patients to: overcome inevitable
obstacles; understand their Self better; behave more freely with less inner critique; experience
more gratifying social relationships; care for and express their Self through their physical body;
harness and express their emotions more comfortably; reach a peace with their multiplicity of
thoughts and ideas; and savor their spiritual side.
When in treatment with me, I will refer to The Life Wheel or to the different attributes of who
you are. We may touch upon the relevance of this only a few times. Or, we may explore it in
depth. Because I believe you are made up of all these characteristics, I will help you delve into
them in an attempt to experience your full humanity. At some point, we talk about them. It is up
to you whether or not you want to learn more about your Self and these innate qualities. You
may or not want me to assist you. You must choose.

Recommended Reading______________________________________
For more information about psychotherapy, visit the “FAQ” web page on my website. There, I
address a number of questions about the psychotherapy process and experience.
For a list of suggested Articles, Books and Websites about psychotherapy and various
psychological topics, visit the “Resources” web page on my website.

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com
 The Life Wheel: 7 Aspects of Who You Are 18

___________________________________________________________

Revel Miller, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, consultant and business coach committed
to helping people clarify and achieve their personal goals.

Contact him at 805-448-5053.

Visit our website at www.DrRevelMiller.com

Revel Miller, Ph.D. 805-448-5053

133 East De La Guerra Street, #145
Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.DrRevelMiller.com