112. identity

One thing people don’t think about is how they have assumed a particular identity. We think we freely define ourselves, when in fact, we are the sum of where we place our attention. Everything from the harping of our parents and the influence of cultural norms, to the constant messages of inadequacy we hear from social media and television.

All these things have embedded us with a certain identity. The hardest thing to do is enable a person to see themselves as who they are, not who they’ve been taught to be. Identity, by it’s very nature, is manmade and exclusive. If you’ve been socialized to identify as poor based on where you come from or what you look like, you are no longer rich. The same goes for if you’ve been convinced you’re fat, you no longer can perceive yourself as skinny. All these little words we use to identify and define ourselves only put us in a box, they don’t free us. They don’t give us the power to see ourselves as who we are — completely free to do and be whatever we want, no matter our starting point — and therefore keep us confined to living a life within the limits of the words we use to define ourselves. These words impact our decisions and are the underlying force that drives our inner narrative in a particular direction. So, it becomes very important to understand where you’re placing your attention because it has the power to create or reinforce an identity that really isn’t who you are.