Take a walk through your house.
Nine pillars hold up a life: your body, your mind, your relationships, your sense of purpose, your inner life, your money, your growth, your surroundings, and the way you live an ordinary week. Pick any pillar and rate five statements from 1 to 5. Your house changes as you go. It takes about two minutes a pillar. There is no sign-up, and nothing is sent anywhere.
This is a tool for reflection. It is not a test, a diagnosis or a clinical assessment, and it cannot tell you what is wrong with you. It draws on Chris Ellison’s years of clinical practice and on the work of other clinicians and researchers, adapted from his book A Life Well-Lived. Your scores describe where you stand today and nothing more.
If you are struggling, if you are thinking about harming yourself, or if you feel afraid, controlled or unsafe with someone, please talk with your doctor, a counsellor or someone you trust instead. If anyone is in danger, call 9-1-1. In Canada you can also call or text 9-8-8 at any time.
A strength is a tool
Picture a car with two good tires and two worn ones. It still gets you down the road, because the good tires take up the slack. The worn ones keep wearing, and the good ones carry more strain every mile.
Your glowing pillars work the same way. They hold up the weaker ones for a while, and that is a real gift. The book suggests putting some of that strength to work on the pillar that needs it, one small step at a time.
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