THE RHETORICAL STARTER
Who am I?
Who are you? The first reaction is to state your name in response to this question, right? Let’s go deeper than names. Who are you, really? Let’s take some time to answer this question to ourselves before we answer this question to the world. Do you know who you are? Who you really are? The beautiful thing about this question is that the answer is never always the same unless you want it to be. The exploration of yourself is without borders or limits, even those limits of identity that you or someone else has built up around who you are, who you could be, who you want to be, who you never were, who you never had a chance to be, who you never got a chance to know was in there, in you? Perhaps you may create a space of honesty with yourself by saying “I never had a chance to find out much about who I really am.” That sure opens a can of worms! If it did spark curiosity, that is right where you want to be right now. Now we’re on to something! “Who Are You?” or ‘Who Am I?”The answer, just as you define yourself, is open to change or refinement over time. We are here to expand internally in any context that builds you up in the direction that you seek to go. The answer is completely open to experiences, open to perspective, open to growth, open to evolution of yourself. Who are you, really? That is as open as you allow it to be. So, open it up! Become available to the openness of it. If you take that by the horns, the answer grows and grows along your journey. In short, to define yourself truly, is to say “I don’t know all that is in this dinner buffet. I see some familiar items that I like, but there is more here to explore. I am hungry and I am ready to taste nearly everything, so I will work my way around until I’ve tasted all that I can. Surely, I will taste new and delicious things and learn something new about my tastebuds!” The buffet is the opportunity to expand. So, eat and discover!That, my friends, is self-discovery? What you know and being open to what you don’t know, or barely know little about some parts, concerning yourself. You will learn that as you expand your openness, your view expands, and as such, your mindset expands, which we cover in the “mindset matters” pathway. Eleanor Roosevelt, mid-1900s political figure, activist and First Lady to Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, once said “I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday”. I presume that she may be right in some regard, that we are defined in our identities by the choices that we make in life. But I would also strongly suggest on the contrary, that despite the choices that we made in the past, whether good or bad choices, that does not at all define who we are by any means, no not at all, aside from the acceptance or willingness to be our choices. Are you your choices? Are you defined by your choices? If you make good choices and bad choices, how does that become of you? Does choice #1 become you, fully? Does choice #2 become you, fully? Does choice #3 become you, fully? Does the combination of those choices become you? Are you a product of choices?Have you found yourself trapped in the identity of a choice?If so, did you willingly take on the identity of a choice or was the identity of that choice forced upon you by society, family, etc.?You did something good, so society identified you by that good thing you did.You did something bad, so society identified you by that bad thing you did.You did something you’re proud of, so you identified yourself by that thing that you’re proud of.You did something you’re ashamed of, and you identified yourself by that shameful thing you carry like a label attached to your forehead, burdening you down for each introduction and comparison to proud and smiling faces that walks the earth. Don't you deserve to be proud and smile, too? I think so!Or perhaps, there is so much hidden material that you struggle to identify yourself due to interference in the form of a blockage of hidden parts that have become your hidden self, by habit. In short, “I am nothing visible, because if you seen it, you nor I would like it, therefore I prefer not to be identified by myself nor anyone else. I am a hidden world of a thing with many faces, none of which are truly me. I do not see me, nor does anyone else. They wouldn't like it anyway.” Perhaps choices produced the hidden self? Perhaps fear, shame, social unacceptance produced the hidden self? Perhaps lineage? Perhaps association? Perhaps paths and roads led to a hidden world in which you got lost and seek to be found. Kicking and screaming in silence, seeking to be found on that lost and hidden road, lacking any true sense of self or a rewarding existence. This is precisely what we are tackling. Your identity and uniqueness that should be appreciated by you before anyone else. You'll never truly come into yourself by seeking to fit in with any set norms. Oh how miserable are set norms. Never pursue that! Pursue you and who that really is in its fullness! You'll never know who that is if you don't fearlessly try. And, a life never having known your amazing worth and true unique, passions, contributions, purpose and presence is not a true and full life. You can choose to limit yourself or choose to expand. I’ll ask you again…Are you defined and identified merely by choices? Or is your true and whole identity formed and achieved beyond choices #1, 2, 3 or 4? Let’s ponder this and reflect on our past and current choices. Let’s think about some choices that we made that we are proud of, and let’s examine if and how we extracted parts of those honorable choices and ingrained them into our identity, our current “Who Am I?” space. What are some things that you are proud of? Have you extracted those achievements, roles, titles and appearances and assigned those which you are proud of into your ultimate identity? Where does your pride come from? Does it have any true meaning for you?What are some things that you are not proud of? Have you become so disgusted with those things that you've abandoned any chance of an enjoyable identity, only to remain a ghost of hallow flesh and bones with a heart that barely beats and a dwindling soul that barely smiles? What to do? What ...to...do?For practice, let’s try this… List 3 of your highest achievements in life or 3 things that you are very proud of doing. Now, Consider the question “who am I?” Do you refer back to the things that you are proud of doing to answer the question regarding your full identity?Did you graduate from med school?Are you a successful entrepreneur?Are you a politician?A judge?A nurse?A soldier?A proud mother?A proud father?An experienced mechanic or advanced technician?An engineer?An architect? A film director?A scientist?A freelance creator?A talented artist? A music producer?A successful student?On the honor role in school?A well-known plumber?A grandmother?A grandfather?A chef? A corrupt cook?A devoted Christian?A devoted Muslim?A fashionista?A boss B**** or HBIC?A manager?A lead?A supervisor?A king?A queen?An ambassador?An interior designer?A wardrobe consultant?A corporate shark?An LGBTQ+ advocate?A powerful mystical being?A magician?A warlock?A witch?A CEO or Executive Director?A top salesperson?A sex therapist?A top dollar sex worker? A hired gun? A patriotic terrorist?A ballroom escort?An exotic dancer?A ballerina?A physician?An international trader?A banker?A world-renowned food critic?A Hollywood talent scout?An all-around B*d A*s? Who are you? Did you perhaps extract meaning from your accomplishments or position in industry, society or a hidden echelon to fully or partially define yourself? It is very easy to do! It is extremely common to form an overall identity or sense of self through personal achievements or through an invisible presence of untapped existence. Before we dive deeper into the exploratory waters of “who am I, really?”, let’s read a very insightful article written by NeuroLaunch, Identity Achievement in Psychology: Definition, Stages, and Significance. Do you perhaps draw a blank, never having thought much about who you really are? That is more common than you realize, and you are not alone, my friend. One of us! One of us! One of us! Welcome to Team Evolution Now! Haha!Dr. Carly Snyder discusses how common it is to not really know who you are or much about yourself in I Don’t Know Who I Am: What to Do if You Feel This Way. Also, take a look at this peer-reviewed article by Catherine Kolonko, Finding Yourself: How to Develop a Strong Sense of Self. This provides more insight on the importance of having not only a sense of self, but most importantly, having a healthy and solid sense of self that manifests in our full presence and existence, which radiates inwardly and outwardly. Guess what, people can see it and feel it coming out of you! But this is about you first. After reading this very enlightening article, let’s take some time to reflect and break out our Pathway to Evolution Journal. PS…this might feel new to some of you, uncomfortable even, as it presents a space of seeming vulnerability that pierces through a potentially stern, prideful, unwavering, seemingly perfect, resistant or rigid exterior. But that is exactly where you want to be…. Vulnerable….You’re safe here….Don’t rush it. Take your time on this step, think about stages in life and how you define yourself. Think about how that shifted and built up like blocks stacking through life.Think about what parts of life experiences you knowingly or unknowingly extracted meaning for who you were at each stage.Consider good choices that produced good outcomes and consider what self-defining meaning you applied to who you were or who you are as you say it to be. Put that in words.Consider undesirable choices that did not produce good outcomes, then consider whether you knowingly or unknowingly extracted self-defining meaning from those undesirable choices that you allowed to creep up and be the answer to “who am I?”. We will then engage in a self-analysis exercise.CLICK HERE FOR “WHO AM I?” (JOURNEY 1 – THE RHETORICAL STARTER)
Once done, feel free to print, share and compare with trusting allies or save it in your proud Pathway to Evolution File as we track your journey.And remember…. you’re safe here…..But don’t get clingy, because I’m moving to a country with no Wi-Fi soon…lol just kidding!Stay here for 30 days or longer. Right when you think you got it all, guess what? Go back again and get more. Let’s talk soon. If you like the direction that this is heading in, then stick around! You may also provide suggestions or feedback by sharing your thoughts with viewers or directly to me.Feel free to visit the “Contact” page for options to send comments, testimonials and feedback related to our experience here and whether it helps you along your journey called life. Sincerely, Reena (Author & Content Developer)" I am qualified to believe in you, to inspire you and to see the best in you until you see it, too. Fly high and free, my darlings."