Slideshow image

"Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self."

- B. R. Ambedkar

Most days, I wake up and my mind is ripe. It's ready for the challenges ahead. I know who I am, I know the gifts that I possess, and I know the seeds of greatness that are inside of me. I’m bringing them up to the surface and launching them out.  

Now, it took some time to get to know these things. Like everything in life (including life itself), it's a journey. You're constantly figuring out how to learn more about who you are and what's inside you. One of the things I've noticed we do most is put our identity in everything but ourselves.

For some, we put our identity in our performance. We identify people by a certain skill set. We say, "Oh I know him, he's that guy who can jump really well," or "I know her, she's really good at math." We don't stop to think that that person is an actual human being - someone who thinks and feels - instead of just someone who does things.

Other times, we put our identity in popularity. We evaluate others and ourselves by how well we're known. We assume that others are good people based on the amount of friends they have on Facebook, how many followers they have on Instagram, or who they might be connected to in real life. We sometimes associate them with positivity because of our perception. We assume they're good people because, well, the spotlight must always be on them for a reason.

A few of us put our identity in things. We're on the lookout for the hottest material items in attempt to show others who we are. We constantly search for what we can purchase for social acceptance. After all, people must think that if we wear Jimmy Choos or Christian Dior often enough, we must be good people with expensive taste, right?

Wrong.

Popularity, performance and materialism, though important, aren't the right places to place our identity.

What happens to your self-worth when you underperform? Where does your self-esteem go when you are no longer trending among your social group? 

One of my favourite quotes from the Bible is "Man looks at the outward appearance but God judges the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). If you really understand that you have the DNA of a champion, then you know that your identity is inside of you. It resides so deeply in your being that other people can't see it right away. It's that thing that forces people to really get to know you before they can even get a glimpse of who you are.

The only way that you can see a seed's value is by tasting its fruit. The only way that people are going to know and understand you is by revealing your fruit to them. It's what you leave behind in others when you walk away from a powersation. It's the encouragement you give to others when you yourself are feeling down. It's lending a helping hand to someone who can never repay you. It's showing people in both times of crisis and moments of happiness who you truly are based on the decisions you make.

To figure out what kind of seed you are, you have to reach deep down into yourself and figure it out. Then, and only then, will you be able to find your identity.

#GetAfterIt

- JH

 

Like this post? Click here for more information on how you can get involved with AOTG!