Our sense of identity is crucial to our wellbeing. We are all unique. DNA, environment, experiences – these form the parameters of our identity. Despite knowing that we are all unique, we often need to be reassured of who we are. After all, there are over 7 billion people in the world – where do the similarities between individuals end and the differences begin?
As Larkspur writes in her post, we are the culmination of our unique traits. Yet very often, a large piece of our identity is based not on all these characteristics, but rather on a few factors we view as being fundamental to our identity. Our passions, our hobbies, our talents. Self-confidence stems from knowing who we are. But what if we don’t know ourselves?
This is where the identity crisis comes in. Perhaps an unprecedented event occurs, removing a defining factor of our identities and leaving us wondering who we truly are. All that remains is a prevailing sense of emptiness. Fear. Uncertainty. We lose focus and motivation.
Very often, this impacts our relationships, especially the development of new ones. In order to compensate for our incomplete sense of self, we project what we subconsciously feel is missing onto others. Instead of being X who has a friend Y, we become Y’s friend, X. Or Z’s girlfriend, X. Other individuals become an intrinsic part of our identity so we can satisfy and ignore that pit of uncertainty in our stomaches. We allow others to define ourselves.
An identity crisis may leave us feeling insecure and not-so-confident. It’s alright to feel confused about who we are. After all, life is a perpetual journey to self-discovery and our perceptions of ourselves are constantly changing. What we have to remember is that even if we don’t know much about ourselves, we should still love ourselves and be confident because we all have something to contribute. The most important thing in life is to be happy, not to limit and define ourselves based on others’ expectations.
I’m no expert, but I think taking risks is important when it comes to searching for our identity. If an identity crisis deprives us of our confidence and ability to take risks, should we not defy it? It works in the reverse as well: the more risks we take, the more we learn about ourselves and the more confident we become.
I suppose this is something I’m going through. I’ve grown careful – so, so careful that there is no room for mistakes, yet also no room for growing.
Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.Oprah Winfrey
Lily