Most people want their decision-making and day-to-day behavior guided by a conscious set of well thought-out stances or principles. Perplexed by their own limitations in executing such thoughtful behavior, they find it harder still when they are anxious. Differentiation of Self, a cornerstone concept in Bowen family systems theory, explains these difficulties in terms of the degrees to which people are able to achieve emotional separation from their families-of-origin. This workshop considers the cognitive, emotional, and relationship variables that contribute to a person's basic levels of Differentiation of Self, as well as explores some of the essential elements needed in any concerted effort to increase one's basic level of self later in life.