Who am I? Most people have asked themselves this question at least once in their lives. It’s often asked after a major change in our lives such as a divorce or job loss. We might ask the question as we graduate school or when our children are grown. Throughout our lives we often struggle to identify who we are based on more than what we do.
It’s important to know who we are. When you know with out question who you are your life becomes more meaningful filled with joy and has a purpose.
Let’s dig into the real question of who am I?
The real question you should ask is “what is my identity”. Our identity is our memories, what we value, the things we’ve experienced, our thoughts, feelings and relationships combined. You are everything that makes up your whole self.
To find out the answers to what is your identity, you need to dig deeper and honestly answer some tough questions.
What am I good at? What comes naturally to me?
What and who has shaped me? What events or circumstances in my life have made an impact on me? Who influenced me in the past?
What are my weaknesses? What are your strengths? Maybe your self-confident in your skill and talent but are afraid of failure. Your strengths can include your skills, abilities, talents and your character.
What am I afraid of? How do you deal with crisis or opportunities? Are you an introvert, preferring to work alone or an extrovert, loving to work with groups of people?
What do I like to do? What are your interests? These can include your passions, your hobbies, or whatever keeps you occupied for long periods of time. This gives you a clue to what makes up your identity.
What are my values? Your values play an important part in who you are. They guide you in your decisions and reaching your goals. Values are things like helping others, being creative, financial security, health and so on.
These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself as you ponder who you are. As you do sit quietly and just listen. Think about who you truly are, not who you want to be or who you’ve been told you are.
For instance maybe you are passionate about knitting, helping others is a value and you are an extrovert. Your energy is best at night and one of your strengths is self-confidence and fairness. Knowing these attributes helps you see that this person is fair with others, is passionate and caring, loves being a part of a group.
Figuring out who you are and getting to know you all over again means learning about who you are. It comes from what interests you and you are passionate about. Knowing your identity is built on your values and your temperament. So the next time you are faced with the question, “Who am I?”, take the time to answer what makes up your identity.