Who Am I?
We all have multiple identities we associate with - parent, child, sibling, employee, boss, coach, community leader, and the list goes on. How often do you ask yourself, "who am I?" Does your response start with those "hats" you wear or does it start with something deeper?
Our identity shifts as we go through life changes but sometimes we forget to pause and acquaint ourselves with this identity and put away an old identity. I've done a lot of thinking on this topic since I took my career leap of faith in 2019. Who am I supposed to be now that I've moved out of the corporate team structure? Who do I want to be?
In a reflective mood, I've been thinking that it's time to build out my who I am description a bit more. Here’s what I came up with:
Daughter of parents who care deeply
Sister to a best friend
Wife to someone I've grown with for over 25 years
Mother of 2 almost grown teenagers ready to fly on their own
Recovering corporate HR executive
Coaching professional focused on enabling imperfect leaders to achieve their goals
College instructor focused on increasing the interest in the HR field
Advisor for organizations who want to create better workplaces for their people
Speaker and writer focused on how we can lead ourselves and others better - how we can address our imperfection gremlins and harness "our messy."
Runner who loves the competition and camaraderie (despite not being fast)
Lover of: full-bodied red wine, listening to the sound of the ocean, reading spy novels, and enjoying perfect fall & spring days as the seasons change
Someone who speaks her mind (sometimes too passionately) but is open to learning that I might not be right
Someone who wants a more human-centric world with less divisiveness
Why don't you try this exercise to see who you are and who you want to be?
When you look at the list, what's missing for you?
Is there a piece of your identity that has yet to take shape or that has gotten lost?
I found a few things that I'd like to be able to add to my list of who I want to be so will be working on adding them in as the year goes on.
Who are you today?
Who do you want to be tomorrow?
What will it take to bring that person to life?
A deep subject for your Friday reading.