{"id":72924,"date":"2026-06-10T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/?p=72924"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:58:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:58:55","slug":"becoming-human-hofmeister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/","title":{"rendered":"Becoming Human"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Biography Work in the House of Life illustrates how opportunities and challenges can be understood and fulfilled in every stage of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Who am I? What is the meaning, the leitmotif, of my life? Often, many people today want to ignore these important questions. At the same time, one of the signatures of our time is the wish to make the most of what life has to offer. Anthroposophical biographical work, the foundations of which were developed by Rudolf Steiner,<span id='easy-footnote-1-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-1-72924' title='Rudolf Steiner, &lt;em&gt;Themen aus dem Gesamtwerk. Vom Lebenslauf des Menschen&lt;\/em&gt; [Themes from the Complete Works. On the life path of the human being], edited by Erhard Fucke (Stuttgart: Freies Geistesleben, 2006).'><sup>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> affords personal self-reflection and reorientation at any age. In my work as an anthroposophical physician, the question of the conditions for healthy development became increasingly important. It has always been important to me that spiritual scientific knowledge be accessible to everyone. Over the course of twenty years of counseling and continuing education courses, I developed the method I call \u201cBiography Work in the House of Life\u201d [<em>Biografiearbeit im Lebenshaus<\/em>, BIL], which I would like to introduce in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do heredity, socialization, and our \u2018I\u2019 come together? As human beings, we have the capacity to develop and learn throughout our lives. We have our \u2018I\u2019 to thank for this quality of striving to develop, to become. This idea stands in the center of biography work. We observe life in its broader context and start to get a feeling for the themes that shape our lives. We take responsibility for our lives and move from the role of victim to the role of active life developer. We then experience that within every crisis is hidden an opportunity for the unfolding of the self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three streams are at work in our biography. The first stream is formed by the genetic heritage of our father\u2019s and mother\u2019s ancestors. The second stream is imprinted upon us by our environment and upbringing. The third stems from that elusive spiritual core of our being\u2014our \u2018I\u2019\u2014and its power to become, to develop, which is expressed throughout the course of our life when we realize and manifest our life\u2019s purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_9-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72725\" style=\"width:350px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_9-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_9-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_9-770x1155.jpg 770w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_9.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Lemminger family with Anna (right), later known as Aenne Burda. CC BY-SA 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Seven-Year Rhythm in Our Biography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Our etheric body is a stream of life that forms the basis of our biography. The fundamental rhythm of the etheric is a period of seven years, and this seven-year rhythm gives us the structure of the \u201crooms of life\u201d in the Biography Work of the House of Life. In each room, new qualities, questions, and tasks become the focus of specific moments of our development. The transitions between the rooms are sometimes fluid, sometimes abrupt, and sometimes themes are skipped over and only addressed at a later time, all according to our personal disposition. Within the archetypal stream of life, our personal biography finds its individual imprint where our \u2018I\u2019 expresses itself and our destiny takes shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the ARD miniseries <em>Aenne Burda<\/em>,<span id='easy-footnote-2-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-2-72924' title='&lt;em&gt;Aenne Burda: Die Wirtschaftswunderfrau&lt;\/em&gt;, directed by Francis Meletzky (Germany: Polyphon Pictures, S\u00fcdwestrundfunk (SWR), 2018). Streaming miniseries.'><sup>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span> the first part of the story unfolds within a modest family home where survival depends on each individual\u2019s strength of will. This is a resource that Aenne will later draw upon as she builds her empire. In the postwar era, she lives a prosperous family life with her husband and three sons. It goes without saying that Aenne does not have to work, and so she devotes herself entirely to raising her children and her role in the community. This is the second chapter in the story. Then, when she visits her mother who still lives in a poor neighborhood, it strikes her that the women there dress in dark and drab clothing. She thinks: These women should also have access to colorful fabrics and stylish clothing designs. Tragically, she then discovers that her husband has been cheating on her for years. This awakens a force within her (the third chapter): her own entrepreneurial \u2018I\u2019. From now on, she stands on her own and commits to her vision of restoring women\u2019s beauty and self-confidence. \u201cTrees grow to the sky\u201d becomes her motto. She doesn\u2019t let setbacks get her down. She wants to launch a fashion magazine that provides women ideas for clothing they can sew themselves in their own size, equipped with patterns and practical step-by-step instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With her breakout success\u2014the publication of her first magazine\u2014she no longer calls herself Anna but steps forth as Aenne. Now, the true individual human being of Aenne finally becomes visible to the outside world. Many women faced similar circumstances back then, but Aenne Burda had the vision, the imagination, and above all, the drive to help women find stylish clothing. Therein lies the force of her personal identity in Aenne Burda\u2019s life story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anthroposophical Biographical Work with the Biographical Work in the House of Life Method<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When we choose to engage in self-reflective biographical work using the \u201clife house,\u201d it is as if we move into our life house for a second time\u2014but this time actively and in full consciousness. We first visualize our \u201cI-stream\u201d as a mind map in our house of life. A structure emerges that leads to a more comprehensive understanding of deeper connections. I always find it to be a rather moving experience when counselors and clients explore this map together for the first time. A vision of one\u2019s life unfolds. A sense of meaning, coherence, and relief sets in when we begin to see that\u2014while our issues are individual and personal\u2014they are at the same time a lawful part of universal human development. The focus of our counseling throughout the process is on the relationship between the etheric life stream and the emergence of the efficacious \u2018I\u2019 within it. From this bird\u2019s-eye view, we are able to view our own feelings at a necessary distance, which helps to stimulate our self-awareness. Before we begin this type of counseling, though, we need to already be moderately stable in our souls because we\u2019re going to need to do some renovations in this house of life. We will also have to examine our crisis strategies, which we probably adopted in childhood. They were helpful at one point, but from the perspective of ourselves now as competent adults, are they still? Or do they require an update\u2014something that professional support can often help us with? Using the tools of Biographical Work in the House of Life, we can build our very own life house which serves to realize our professional and personal goals across all the \u201cseven-year rooms of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_10-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72727\" style=\"width:350px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_10-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_10-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_10-770x1155.jpg 770w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_10.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Zeynep S., Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>At birth, we enter our life house. Of course, the prebirth period and birth itself are also included in the consultation. On the ground floor\u2014the first 21 years\u2014we have three rooms dedicated to bodily development; these ground us in the facts of our lives. On the second floor\u2014from ages 21 to 42\u2014we settle into three rooms dedicated to soul development. From ages 42 to 63, the loft awaits us with three rooms where our potential for self-realization becomes possible. After age 63, a new, free phase begins, which each individual shapes in their own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>J\u00fcrgen was a successful 51-year-old computer scientist living independently and was emotionally quite self-sufficient. But ever since he met his wife\u2014the love of his life\u2014he\u2019s been plagued by a fear of loss. He does everything he can for their relationship and has a wish to \u201cbuild a nest.\u201d He doesn\u2019t realize that he\u2019s centered his entire life around her. Then his wife confesses that she has fallen in love with another man. The formally confident and self-assured computer scientist breaks down. When asked during his consultation whether he recognizes this feeling, tears well up in his eyes, and, sobbing, he says, \u201cUntil I was nine years old, I was happy and trusted my parents unconditionally. Then, without any warning, they surprised me by moving to another state. They explained at the time that they wanted to protect me. I couldn\u2019t understand them! For a long time I was in shock and couldn\u2019t make any new relationships. That\u2019s why I eventually chose a profession where the mind reigns supreme. I never devoted myself to matters of the soul again.\u201d During the conversation, he knew that in his love for his wife, he had once again fallen into the emotional dependency of his childhood. He abandoned his role as an adult partner and reverted to being the nine-year-old boy who feared nothing more than the possibility of a sudden separation. He did everything to avoid this, denied his own needs, and thereby became increasingly unattractive to his wife. As soon as J\u00fcrgen understood this connection, he was able to distance himself from his helplessness and became a grown and capable man once again. He accepted a job offer in another city and only came home on weekends. Although it was difficult for him not to want to control his wife, their former love was able to reemerge during their conversations on the weekends. Occasionally, J\u00fcrgen is overcome by his old fear of abandonment, but he now understands the underlying causes. He then takes his inner nine-year-old J\u00fcrgen by the hand and explains the situation to him. If that isn\u2019t enough, he has agreed with his wife that he will call her and have her tell him what she is doing at that moment. In this way, he is learning to take himself and his feelings seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The First 21 Years: The Ground Floor of Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bernard Lievegoed describes the first 21 years as \u201ca great event of incarnation.\u201d Growth and development take place on the level of the physical body. We live in close connection with our surroundings. On the soul level, this is the time when we \u201ctake and receive.\u201d<span id='easy-footnote-3-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-3-72924' title='Bernard Lievegoed, &lt;em&gt;Phases: The Spiritual Rhythms in Adult Life&lt;\/em&gt;, 4th edn. (Forest Row, East Sussex: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1997; repr. 2003); first published in Dutch, 1979.'><sup>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span> As children, we are placed into the facts of our lives: our homeland, our native language, our parents, our siblings\u2014all of these will shape our lives. At the center is the question of whether we are accepted just as we are\u2014the unconditional security and love we have or have not experienced. We are dependent on our parents even for our physical survival. Breaches in basic trust, feelings of loneliness and abandonment\u2014these are the deep-seated issues that often become etched into our skin like a tattoo for life. But every childhood also has its rays of sunshine, and, from Ben Furman\u2019s biographical work, we learn that <em>It\u2019s Never Too Late to Have a Happy Childhood<\/em>.<span id='easy-footnote-4-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-4-72924' title='Ben Furman, &lt;em&gt;It\u2019s Never Too Late to Have a Happy Childhood: From Adversity to Resilience&lt;\/em&gt; (London: BT Press, 1997).'><sup>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span> During our school years, we develop and shape our temperament. School now plays a defining role in our daily lives. We want to learn and discover the world with our friends. The atmosphere in our family home will shape us. Affirmations, habits, standards, and prejudices\u2014all the phrases that begin with \u201cIn our family&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;.\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;.\u201d will accompany us like cherished old clothes until we sort them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Middle of Childhood and Its Crisis: The Rubicon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At the age of ten, an important developmental crisis occurs, the Rubicon, during which our \u2018I\u2019 seeks to anchor itself in the physical body and the soul at the level of the heart. Part of this developmental stage is that our breathing and heart rhythms seek to align in a ratio of approximately one to four when at rest. Prior to this, children have their own independent rhythms. In this way, the physical body develops its stability, which forms the prerequisite for an independent feeling life of our soul. When we observe schoolchildren at this age, it becomes clear that a focused, self-directed approach to learning only becomes possible with the inner security provided by the established pulse-breath ratio. An inner distance from the external world sets in; this is a prerequisite for the later independence of the soul. It\u2019s a painful process because children learn that parents, teachers\u2014indeed, all adults\u2014make mistakes, can do the wrong things, and can be incorrect. Despite the pain, this helps to awaken the children\u2019s capacity for independent critical thinking. Children often feel they are treated unfairly and misunderstood at this age. Amid a feeling of profound abandonment, children begin to comprehend themselves as an \u2018I\u2019 in all its solitude. From now on, the experience that every human being is alone in their innermost essence will accompany them throughout their life. Now we can understand the questions children pose to their parents during these years. From a genuine inward doubt, they suddenly ask, \u201cCan you prove to me that I am really your child? Maybe I\u2019m just a foundling, left on your doorstep?\u201d The finitude of life, death, enters the child\u2019s world of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my years of work, I have found that the Rubicon is often not understood as an essential aspect of childhood or is mistaken for early puberty. Through anthroposophical anthropology, we can understand the connection between the Rubicon and the period of maturity between the ages of 49 and 56. If children suffer a shock during this sensitive time due to academic stress, separation, or loss, this can lead to a predisposition to heart failure or heart disease later in life, especially between the ages of 49 and 56.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our youth, we find ourselves caught between two opposing forces. On the one hand, we are still tied to the parental table; on the other, there are encounters in which we sense that we must set out on our own to find ourselves. Experiences of puberty that are not understood or lack proper guidance can later lead to difficulties forming attachments and a kind of \u201ceternal\u201d puberty. Adolescents with an excessive need for harmony obscure the life lessons puberty offers, and these often surface unexpectedly later on. But on the ground floor of life, we find the \u201cjokers\u201d in our deck that give us strength\u2014our personal resources. It can be helpful to use the times when we\u2019re waiting in line or riding in a car to recall some beautiful circumstances, situations, and details of our childhood rooms. Can you hear yourself laugh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Years from 21 to 42: Soul Development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bodily development comes to an end with the maturation of the frontal lobe. Our \u2018I\u2019, now comes of age, is born in our soul. A flight of stairs leads from the ground floor of bodily development up to the second floor of soul development, where we find three more seven-year rooms that we must occupy, enliven, and furnish over the next 21 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Sentient Soul: The Living Room<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The period of the sentient soul, the living room of the life house from ages 21 to 28, resembles our formative years of life. We venture out into the world, get to know ourselves, and test our abilities. We form friendships that last a lifetime. School, university, and career provide the backdrop during this \u201cdestiny-free\u201d period, against which real life\u2014shaped by the subjective feelings of our sensory soul\u2014unfolds. It is the Strum und Drang [storm and stress] period of life, of romance, travel, and adventure. Do we hear the call of our lives, and do we have the courage to follow it with force and confidence through all resistance? Around age 28, a turning point arrives. Our guardian angel withdraws. What once sustained us no longer does so. At the same time, our past catches up with us. This spiritual crisis of the \u2018I\u2019 is the true cause of today\u2019s quarter-life crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anton says of this period, \u201cBy the time I was 28, my wild years were behind me. I had started my own enterprise, and my son was born. That was a turning point. I felt like I was finally standing on my own two feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Intellectual Soul or the Soul of Higher Feeling and Thinking: The Study<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the life house\u2019s study (the soul room of the intellectual soul) we find the practicality and objectivity we now need. The years from 28 to 35 are a kind of apprenticeship. We sense that it is time to settle into our lives. We have arrived at our lower ego; everything is within our grasp. We embrace the challenges of daily life and juggle the demands of family, work, and career. We stand in the depths of our bodies and in the full force of our life. Everything seems feasible and possible to us. We assertively stand up for our rights and our convictions. Clear and objective reason governs our lives. In our partnership, the functional community based on mutual agreement and shared responsibility prevails. The rush hour of life has arrived. In our souls of higher feeling and thinking, we can find balance through access to deeper questions of personal development, art, and spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Midlife Crisis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We reach the middle of our thirties and, rather self-content, may think to ourselves, \u201cThings will just keep on in this way, along the beaten path of the material, earthly world.\u201d But then, for some, doubt creeps in imperceptibly: \u201cIs this all there is?\u201d For others, it leads to a sobering, often painful experience. Whatever face the midlife crisis presents to us as it enters our lives, it seeks to awaken the knowledge that we are citizens of two worlds, heaven and Earth. Here at the lowest point, having arrived at the core of our lower ego, my \u2018I\u2019 [the higher ego] wishes to fully join with its spiritual archetype, its true Self. What did I actually want to do in this life? What is the meaning of it all?<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_11-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72729\" style=\"width:350px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_11-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_11-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_11-770x1155.jpg 770w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_11.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo:&nbsp;Afonso Vieira, Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Consciousness Soul: The James Bond Room<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During the intellectual soul phase, we were full of answers. With the development of the consciousness soul starting at age 35, we enter the realm of questions that seek individual, situation-specific answers. Our natural development, given to us as a gift, has ended. Whether we find an empathetic, attentive posture to understand ourselves and our counterpart depends on the will of our \u2018I\u2019. With this will, we can venture into a clearing, the encounter of the in-between, a standing in the midst, as H\u00f6lderlin calls out to us: \u201cCome into the open, friend!\u201d<span id='easy-footnote-5-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-5-72924' title='Friedrich H\u00f6lderlin, \u201cOnce There Were Gods&amp;nbsp;.&amp;nbsp;.&amp;nbsp;.\u201d [&lt;em&gt;G\u00f6tter wandelten einst&lt;\/em&gt;], in &lt;em&gt;Selected Poetry: Including H\u00f6lderlin\u2019s Sophocles&lt;\/em&gt; (Newcastle upon Tyne: Bloodaxe Books, 2018); written spring 1799; first published in German in 1909.'><sup>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Now, oppositions can be overcome, and new paths become possible through cooperation. This requires openness to new solutions. That is why I have named this space the James Bond Room, for the name alone awakens both women and men and inspires them to experience their own lives as an adventure with a personal mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resolving our \u201cbasement issues\u201d enables us to fulfill our potential. Now we are ready for the third phase of spiritual development, which no longer consists of predetermined spaces but must be lived out individually, like converting an attic into a living space. As we enter our forties, we begin to look back. We become conscious of our past. By attempting to pry open the attic hatch, we begin to experience our projections onto others as our own, personal \u201cbasement issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sabine often felt excluded and overlooked in her musical trio. During our conversation, she explained that when she was five years old she had been sent to live with her aunt for six weeks after her sister was born. As we put ourselves in her little girl shoes, we realize with her that she has been reenacting that core feeling from her childhood ever since. Armed with this insight, she now actively seeks out someone to talk to in such situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">42 to 63: The Expansion of the Attic Studio as a Space for Personal Fulfillment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It often takes a complete renovation of the basement and ground floor (sometimes with professional help) before we can convert our attic into a bright, open loft studio; that is, before we can know and implement our life\u2019s personal mission. Sometimes it may seem as though our real life is only now just beginning! In the loft studio of our personal self-realization, the determined resolve of our 40s, the wise foresight of our 50s, and, finally, the grateful kindness of our 60s await us. These steps of new self-responsibility and further development along the way are not a given; many shy away or remain stuck. Fortunately, instead of the lateral move into the \u201cdevelopment parking lot,\u201d as Michaela Gl\u00f6ckler describes it, a move forward into our refurbished loft is always possible.<span id='easy-footnote-6-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-6-72924' title='Michaela Gl\u00f6ckler, \u201c&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jQnESidm7pA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Die 7 Entwicklungsgeheimnisse des Menschseins&lt;\/a&gt;\u201d [The 7 secrets of human development], YouTube video, 1:27:02, posted by \u201cBiografiearbeit mit Dr. med. Susanne Hofmeister,\u201d May 18, 2025.'><sup>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Midsummer: Embracing Authenticity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We embrace our strengths and weaknesses, are no longer afraid of losing face, and shape our lives with energy and determination. At first we\u2019re not consciously aware of the onset of the aging process. It is up to us whether we will transform the life forces, which are increasingly leaving our physical bodies, into wisdom. True authenticity requires self-acceptance\u2014accepting ourselves as we have become, with our deep-seated issues\u2014and our potential. The questions now are: \u201cWho have I become?\u201d and \u201cWho do I want to become?\u201d \u201cWhat is my leitmotif, my guiding principle, that I want to enthusiastically pursue?\u201d Perhaps we know Thornton Wilder\u2019s words apply to us as well: \u201cWithout your wound, where would your power be?\u201d<span id='easy-footnote-7-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-7-72924' title='Thornton Wilder, \u201cThe Angel That Troubled the Waters,\u201d in &lt;em&gt;Thornton Wilder: Collected Plays and Writings on Theater&lt;\/em&gt; (New York: Library of America, 2007), 55. First published, 1928.'><sup>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Then we experience the connection between our personal suffering and our guiding principle in life. We experience that our true, adult life has now begun, in which we have become inwardly free and take responsibility for ourselves. In these moments of connection with our spiritual self, we orient ourselves toward what is possible for us and our surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72731\" style=\"width:350px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-70x70.jpg 70w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/G2026_22_Web_12.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Susanne Hofmeister. Photo: Jan Papenhagen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maturity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With new foresight for the true wisdom of life, around the age of 49, we experience a further deepening of our spiritual life. We have reached life\u2019s high plateau. Sometimes it seems as if the world is rolling out the red carpet for us. We are entering our phase of social leadership; this can be a time of giving. We open ourselves to the forces of resonance, stepping out of personal entanglement into a more objective perspective and thus understanding of the deeper connections of fate. At the same time, we are only now painfully conscious of how much emotional baggage we have placed in the life backpacks of those close to us through our life decisions. Can we bear this self-reflection\u2014without self-pity\u2014and ask for forgiveness where necessary? In our surroundings, we also painfully experience ourselves as spectators when loved ones are unable or unwilling to take developmental steps and face the consequences of life. The forces of humility and gratitude grow, and equanimity opens out to wide distances. If we manage to pool and concentrate our energies to shape the high plateau of our lives creatively and in harmony with the forces of resonance, this phase of life can last well into our 70s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this stage of his life, Volker said, \u201cI\u2019m out of debt. For some time now, I\u2019ve felt like I\u2019ve left my debt behind. Once you reach a certain age, life just gets happier and happier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Harvest Season<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Farewells and new beginnings. Starting at age 56, it\u2019s time to prepare for the final major\u2014and today, possibly quite long\u2014phase of life. Have we made peace with the past, forgiven our parents, and let go of unmet expectations regarding our adult children? Are we cultivating our spiritual depths, feeling grateful for our lives, and focusing on the essential? Do we reflect on farewells and new beginnings? It is time to find a new rhythm of life appropriate to our age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nadja said, \u201cWhat comes after 42 is like a quantum leap, like a second spring. Thanks to my work on my life story, I now know there is a future! And I know that the bad times were actually the good times, because that\u2019s when things started to change and I was able to learn something!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After 63: Through the Skylight and into the Sunroom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the loft of the house of life, we focus on what is essential and necessary. When, in the grace and humility of good health, we embrace the life forces that are being released within us, we can experience the magic of rejuvenation as we grow older. With a clear vision, we can take up the impulses from the future and\u2014free from excessive politeness or tradition, free from economic worries or expediency\u2014give gifts to our grandchildren or to society. Now we have entered the sunroom of life! As we grow old and cross the threshold of death, Hans Werner\u2019s motto can be fulfilled, \u201cThe future is our task as human beings, especially as older people.\u201d<span id='easy-footnote-8-72924' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'><\/span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/becoming-human-hofmeister\/#easy-footnote-bottom-8-72924' title='Susanne Hofmeister, &lt;em&gt;Mein Lebenshaus hat viele R\u00e4ume&lt;\/em&gt; [My lifehouse has many rooms] (Munich: K\u00f6sel, 2025), 234.'><sup>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At any stage of life, exploring the lawfulness of biography can help us discover a profound sense of meaning that brings us relief and gives us force and confidence. Anthroposophical biographical work is suitable for addressing all the crises faced by modern people. Especially during a midlife crisis, work on our biography can lead to truly new perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More at<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/susannehofmeister.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Biografiearbeit im Lebenshaus<\/a> [Biography Work in the House of Life]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Translation <\/strong>Joshua Kelberman<br><strong>Title image<\/strong> Nikoline Arns, Unsplash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Biography Work in the House of Life illustrates how opportunities and challenges can be understood and fulfilled in every stage of life. Who am I? What is the meaning, the leitmotif, of my life? Often, many people today want to ignore these important questions. At the same time, one of the signatures of our time is the wish to make the most of what life has to offer. Anthroposophical biographical work, the foundations of which were developed by Rudolf Steiner, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22592,"featured_media":72724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8788,9183],"tags":[11805,8798,11806],"class_list":["post-72924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essay-en","category-general-anthroposophy","tag-ausgabe-22-2026-en","tag-deepening","tag-english-issue-24-2026"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22592"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72924"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73041,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72924\/revisions\/73041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dasgoetheanum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}