Who are you? If you had to tell someone who you are, what would you say? What are the things you feel are important enough to mention? Why do you feel they are important?
Is your description of who you are, separate from anyone else? Are you describing yourself in relation to someone else? “I’m Jack’s Mom.” or “I’m Richard’s Wife.”
Separate of others, do you know who you are?
Are you who others think you are? Are you who others want you to be?
If you are not sure of who you are, perhaps you’re also struggling with where you are supposed to be or, where you should be. In order to know where you’re supposed to go or be, you must first know who you are. Right?
Truth, I don’t believe many of us can answer this question with conviction. We are influenced by other’s opinion of who we are, who we think we are supposed to be, our experiences, and every second that gets us to this exact moment when you’re reading this exact word.
When do we start to question who we are? Is it as a kid when we are trying to fit in? We go through different phases, different friends, different looks, to see what sticks. In high school, I noticed a lot of girls began speaking with a certain valley girl-esque accent. There is one girl I know to this day that still speaks this way. I find this interesting. She didn’t move far from the area we all grew up in. Maybe that plays a part?
To find out who you are, you must find out who you’re not. That comes with age and experience mostly. Some of our most poignant moments that molded you into the you that you are today were the moments you realized you would never want to relive again.
As I contemplate who I am, my thoughts deliver this:
I am a Mother. A wife. A dog lover. A thinker. Confused. Tired. Older. Wishful. Hopeful. A dreamer. Messy but also organized. Sun lover. Resourceful. Peace-seeking.
Is that really who I am? That’s it? Why can’t I elaborate? Perhaps who I am not might be more clear.
I am not someone who can be around injuries, blood, broken bones, etc. I am not patient. I dislike the idea of killing anything for sport. I do not tolerate racism. I hate being cold.
This is all harder than I thought. As I review the details of who and what I believe that I am not, memories and moments come to me of times where these statements rang so true. I also notice that I cannot definitively say who exactly I am. I am many things as all of us are. And most of how I identify myself is based off of my relationship with my loved ones. Fail.
I want to know who I am so that I can determine exactly why I am here. What is my purpose? I really can’t say.
Leave a Reply