Who Am I?
Why are you the way you are? In other words, who are you?
You’ve heard the phrase: “I don’t know who I am anymore”. What does that even mean? How do we resolve the conflict embedded in such a vague gesture as the attempt to define and explain our very existence?
Invoking such a question implies a valid, concrete response, as if life were stagnant and immutable; it’s like iterating we never change as people. It implies that as beings, we are fixed to a point of solid existence that can become defined readily.
People who ask this question are typically struggling with mental fragility. The interdependent types, or people who depend on others for validation, tend to ask this question more often than the independent types, or those who rely mainly on themselves to answer this question.
The question is at the core of youth, college, and adulthood alike. The irony is that the more we try to identify the core of who we are, the more fragile we are in our own esteem. There may be an inverse correlation between the question being asked and the ease of lifestyle.
It makes sense to search for a stronger sense of self. It causes deeper awareness of thoughts, emotions, dreams, desires, and fears. This kind of self-discovery is advisable, obviously. The key is to occupy your thoughts by the concept of being malleable, a bending willow than a stubborn, sturdy oak tree. The rigid oak is more concrete, and thus more likely to crack. The more you seek solid facets of yourself, the more you are likely to break. The willow, on the other hand, is flexible and endures stormy weather, flowing in the breeze. If you continue in the momentum of consequence and present action, you are more likely to experience well-being and mental satisfaction.
The focus should NOT be on discovering who you are right now, or why you are the way you behave, but on discerning and facilitating the start of what you would like to experience in your life. A sense of well-being should formulate itself once you’ve become aware that your being is in constant flux, unwilling to conform to definition, no matter how much you seek delineation.
A sense of inferiority and inadequacy occurs when the question “Who am I?” is raised. As maturity develops and people begin the attempt to become better acquainted with their own quirks and characteristics, they would be much better off devoting themselves to the ongoing process of life than an outline listing every facet of their person.
It is becoming aware and accepting of the present that hone our craft at living and enrich and nourish our sense of vitality. Yes, you can still seek your identity at times, but dwelling on the question is like hoarding the past, neglecting the present, and disregarding the possibilities blooming in the future. The identity we yearn for will be more vivacious and lucid if we practice present action, continual flux and flow.
