Episode #150 Who Am I?

Five Problems

• We typically only examine our identity and ask life’s most important questions in times of crisis.
• Our careers will inevitably reach a peak, and it is often difficult to navigate and accept whatever comes next.
• We will not wake up one day having become someone we have not been becoming.
• The trophies we accumulate throughout life often fail to deliver on the happiness they promised.
• At the end of our lives, our professional achievements will mean little compared to our deepest relationships.

Eight Principles

• Before we can live a life of authenticity and intentionality, we must first discover the answer to the question, “Who am I?”
• A stable sense of identity helps us to remain steady as we traverse each bump in the road of life.
• When we remind others who they are, we don’t need to tell them as often what to do.
• The most important thing about us is what comes into our minds when we think about ourselves.
• Nothing shapes who we are becoming as much as what we choose to believe.
• We already have everything we need.
• While happiness is a product of external circumstances, joy is a product of our choices.
• The final three seasons of life – investigation, influence, and inspiration – have their foundation in the first, which is identity.

Five Ponderings

• What are my strengths?
• What brings me joy?
• What do I want to do?
• Why am I here?
• What is my purpose?

Three Practices

• Read Thru the Tunnel: True Stories of Sports and Life That Empower Your Spirit by Paul McDonald.
• Create regular rhythms of rest and reflection.
• Take a roadtrip, a walk, or a journey dedicated to developing a clear sense of identity.

One Perspective

• “Whatever we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” – Otto Rank