The Developmental Affirmation ovals are color-coded oval-shaped discs with a developmental affirmation printed on each one. Why oval? The oval is a symbol of constantly renewing life and of hope. The sequence of colors reflects the rainbow to remind us that moving through the developmental stages is a natural and sequential process. There is a different color associated with each set of developmental learnings.

Click here to download a handout of the Affirmation Ovals.

*

You can finish each part of your journey
and look forward to the next.
Interdependence — Stage 7

*

DIGGING DEEPER: Learn more about the colors.

The sets start with the color peach for the prenatal stage Becoming Stage, followed by Stages 1 through 7 which are arranged like the rainbow:

1. Being: Red
2. Doing: Orange
3. Thinking: Yellow
4. Power and Identity: Green
5. Structure: Light Blue
6. Identity, Sexuality, Separation: Dark Blue
7. Interdependence: Purple

There are seven affirmations in each set except Interdependence. The Interdependence Stage, which is the adult stage of growing (the 12 violet colored ovals), is the longest, as there are many developmental tasks to be covered. Grown-ups not only recycle earlier skills, but they also have complex adult skills to learn and use. The adult years present a variety of ever-expanding challenges and opportunities for growth. Since people need the Developmental Affirmations for their age plus all earlier sets, adults need the entire set of the rainbow of colors.

The white Integration stage, old age, or preparing for death, has no age designation as it can happen at any age. This stage may use many years as old people age through the experiences of the young-old, the old, and the old-old.