There are times we forget who we are, how much strength and resilience we have, and what our values are. Some people are lucky enough to have people around to help remind them that they are losing themselves. But we always have one person we can rely on 100%, and that is ourselves.
Hardship
Turbulent times can take their toll on us. If we aren’t careful, we fail to remember how much strength lies within us. It’s easy to forget how resilient you are when you keep getting pounded with unfortunate circumstances, which is why you have to constantly train and fuel your spirit, soul, and mind. Everyone has strength and willpower within them; you only have to dig it out. Prepare for hardship in the “good and easy times,” so you will always be ready for testing times.
How do you prepare for hardship? Here are a few ideas:
Read personal development books.
Help others through their times of hardship.
Learn about stoicism.
Maintain self-discipline in all areas of your life.
Take charge of your emotions; don’t let them guide your life.
Relationships
Relationships do one of two things: they elevate, or they hinder. Some entanglements become claustrophobic to the point where you lose your entire identity — and forget who you are.
In the infatuation (usually the beginning) phase of a relationship, it’s effortless to become so encapsulated that you lose yourself, your values, your boundaries, and your focus. Many people get past this initial phase of a relationship, but others don’t. I’m sure you’ve met couples that seem inseparable; they do everything together, and you usually never see them doing things alone. This indicates that identities have been lost or combined into one identity, which has its own consequences (e.g., bitterness, boredom, unhappiness, depression, regret, etc.) later in life.
A way to recover your identity in a relationship is to start implementing boundaries immediately with your time, goals, and interests. Don’t give up pieces of your identity for anyone; once you start, it’s more challenging to stop.
Work
For many, career is everything (and I’m not talking about the people who are genuinely passionate about their work — that’s different). It’s easy to tell these people apart; these people easily get stressed about work, only talk about work, spend their weekends looking at work, and are always in the work slack or other chat/communication channels. People who have lost their identities to their career don’t have hobbies outside of work, nor do they have boundaries for their work.
The first step to regaining your identity — outside of work — is to set boundaries. The second step is to engage in other hobbies. The third step is to connect or reconnect with loved ones and friends.
Too often, people overinvest in their jobs only to have them ripped away when they least expect it. Jobs are temporary — remember this.
In conclusion, we can lose our identities at any given point. To avoid an identity crisis, keep self-awareness close. Stay in tune with your surroundings, relationships, priorities, desires, and feelings. Remind yourself of who you are — even when you don’t feel like you know. Believe that who you are is important enough to showcase to the world. Maintain and enforce firm boundaries with yourself and others. Finally, always remember to love yourself unconditionally and never sacrifice who you are for anyone or anything.
Thank you for taking the time to #elevate your life with this quick read. Grab your free books here — Destiny S. Harris ‘ Free AmazonBook Page. Wanna keep in touch online? Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, or my Website.