Who are you?

Two things are crucial for you to understand in life: identity (who you are) and purpose (why you are). So many people struggle to answer this question: who am I? People tell us the need to have an accurate definition of ourselves without giving us the tools to do so. In this article, I will be exploring tips that can help you answer the question: Who am I?

 

The reality is that many people have an idea of who you should be based on how they see themselves, the world around them, the way they have been treated and what others have said about them. The problem with that is when you allow others to define you, they can confine you into the small boxes they have created. They can also confuse you because people change their opinions about people from time to time based on what they feel, what we do, what others have said about us, or where they are in life. They can either underrate or overrate you. Everyone sees you differently because of what they are looking at, what they are looking for, how you interact with them and present yourself.

Everyone sees you differently because of what they are looking at, what they are looking for, how you interact with them, and represent yourself to them.

 

There are different ways you can define yourself. You can define yourself based on your roles. For example, you can define yourself as a mechanic, dentist, student, teacher, parent, counselor, or spouse, etc. However, this would not a true definition of who you are but what you do.

 

Moreover, some define themselves based on their acquisitions. Some will say they are a business owner, an undergraduate, graduate, a landlord, a car owner. What if your degree is no longer relevant? What if you lose everything? Does that mean that you have lost yourself or your worth? What if the value of what you think you have depreciated overnight? You should not allow what you have or don’t have to define you. Being famous is not a true identifier. Don’t base your sense of personhood on whether you are famous or not. It has nothing to do with knowing your true essence.

 

 

Some define themselves based on what others call them. They think that they are a product of people’s imaginations. What others think about you or call you is their assessment and opinion which 99% of the time is inaccurate. Some people don’t think anything good about you. They can call you stupid, foolish, a failure, a mistake, disappointment, or good for nothing. The only person that truly knows your worth is your Creator. If you live your life based on people’s appraisal you will be mistaken.

 

Some people define themselves based on their present life conditions and the limitation of their environment. If we carefully look at it, many of what we identify ourselves with are other people’s yardstick of themselves that they have given to us to measure ourselves and not a true representation of our yardstick because we are all unique in our own right. Take the issue of success for an example, success is unique to every individual because of their unique purpose in life. Some can call themselves failures because they have not yet experienced success. Some can call themselves criminals because of the bad choices they have made. Some call themselves illiterate because they do not have formal education. Your present life condition should not be your estate; it is just a state.

 

Some also define themselves based on their position. They think they are important because they have a position of authority. The reality is that no position is permanent in life. Your position in life is fluid and should not be your disposition. Everyone is important because they are human beings not because of their position. The president of a company is as important as the janitor even though they have different roles and earn different salaries.

 

Some people have also identified themselves and others based on their disability forgetting that everyone is differently-abled. We are human beings first before our ability of disability. Our purpose defines our ability in life. You are not your disability. You are not your past. You are not your mistakes.

 

 

Furthermore, some people define themselves based on what their creator has said about them. You see, who you are cannot be known without the input of your Creator. God is your creator. A creator gives identity and purpose to their creation. Creation does not give identity to other creations. What your Creator says about you matters to your self-esteem, sense of self, and self-concept. It matters to how you see yourself, what you call yourself and how you relate to yourself. Ultimately, it is the voice of your Creator that matters. Every other voice that does not align with what your creator calls you is just an opinion. Do you know who your creator is?

 

Your present life condition should not be your estate; it is just a state.

 

Many of the choices we make in life are a result of not knowing who we are. People will relate to you based on how they see you. Being an introvert or extrovert is someone’s way of categorizing and classifying you. Even though they have good intentions, in the end, they might have conditioned you to think one way and see yourself in a limited way.

 

If we carefully look at it, God’s definition of you is different from how psychologists, theologians, philosophers, socialists, economists, existentialists, pastors, counselors, experts, doctors, motivation speakers, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, or spouses will define you. They will be wrong if their definition is not aligned with how your Creator has defined you. I cannot even define you. The only person that can successfully do that is your creator. Remember if Albert Einstein had listened to the definition of his teachers, he would have been limited by their opinions and live below his potential.

 

Call to action…

 

How do you define yourself?

 

How do the people in your life define you?