Who are you? Most people who find themselves in the position of being asked this question would probably state their first and last name, their career field and or educational background, marital status, and possibly their religion, while taking the opportunity to boast about their humble, or not so humble beginnings. They may go on fingering through the files of their life, telling how they have come to be who they are, and while they are at it, they may throw in some cute insight into their hobbies, children (if any), pets, and travels. Both the question and the answer seem pretty straight forward, right? But as confident and prepared as we feel to respond, a lot of people would miss the opportunity to answer this question with depth because they have not truly asked the question of themselves. We look into the mirror every day and neglect to have the important self-aligning conversation with the person staring back. Are you who you think you are?
There has always been importance around one’s ability to answer this question, but the urgency to know the true answer is staring us in the face through the eyes of tragedy, demanding in its loudest voice that we rise to the moment by knowing this of ourselves. This is an intentional peeling back of our ego and slowly shedding the skin of who we think we are, and evolving into, and showing up being, who we want to be based on our values. Ahhh, there is that word again, values. Why do I speak of it so much? Because our values and morals are our foundation and if we are not clear about who we are and what we stand for as an individual, our presence will continue to be a faux representation of our best self.
The world is experiencing a long overdue shift my friends, also known as change, and you have to figure out what this shift, this change, means for you as a human being. We can’t continue to use cheap pageantry words to describe who we are at our core, we have to speak it, know it, live it, and continuously, and curiously, grow in it. Who are you beyond “loving and kind”, and what do those words even mean to you? Who are you behind the shell of religion? What matters to you, and how do you live and stand in that daily? I often speak of the soil that our feet are planted in, where our roots grow, where we develop the sense of self, based on what others have planted. But what have you intentionally planted in this soil, in this garden for yourself?
Empathy ▪ Honesty ▪ Love ▪ Connection ▪ Kindness ▪ Caring ▪ Servant Leadership ▪ Respect ▪ Family ▪ Service ▪ Equality ▪ Clarity ▪ Faith ▪ Equity ▪ Wellness ▪ Forgiveness ▪ Freedom ▪ Community ▪ Integrity ▪ Presence ▪ Compassion ▪ Accountability ▪ Gratitude ▪ Creativity ▪ Sympathy ▪ Curiosity ▪ Openness ▪ Fairness ▪ Passion ▪ Courage ▪ Intention ▪ Self-Integrity ▪ Purpose ▪ Humility ▪ Vision ▪
These are all flowers that bloom in my garden. Identifying our own personal set of values helps to redirect our approach to the way with which we live and show up in life daily, from our interactions to our endeavors, and by knowing this we are able to answer the question of who we are, not by telling folks “what” we are, but by telling them what we believe at our core, with clarity and authenticity. This isn’t about perfection this is about creating standards, and giving ourselves the space and permission to evolve in those standards and values based on the knowledge that we have today and continue to obtain moving forward; commit to being a lifelong student of self. We have to be willing to be wrong if it means learning what’s right, and we have to unlearn things that we have learned and continue to re-enact out of habit. We have to be prepared to be who we need to be in the moments that require us to rise.
Friends, our reflection is our truth, our truth is our power; who we show up in the world being matters and what you choose to do with your individual power can be a small but mighty thread in the fabric of change. Require this of yourself, require this of those who you exchange energy and share space with; stand in truth and show up being exactly who you think you are.
Be well!
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This is really good Janelle!.... Blessings my sista!