What does that mean? Who am I, and what defines me?
Who are you, and what defines you?
I’ve asked these questions a lot lately – in part because it seems like an important thing to do, in part because I have some decisions in my future. Important ones. I needed to be clear. I am. I know, when the crossroads of decision points arrive, I’ll make right headed ones – not because I’ll be especially sharp that day, but because I have validated some issues internally that will govern my decision making process.
I would like to think that I know what I am made of, what drives me (and what drives me crazy!) well enough that I can make the better choice most of the time, trust my instincts most of the time, trust my learning most of the time. Most of the time I do. But life deals strange cards, one of which is the second-guessing-yourself card. It isn’t about confidence or self-assuredness. It is about something else . . . more difficult to see,
I am who I am, not what I do.
You are who you are, not what you do.
Cause/effect, chicken/egg . . .
Mark Kolke
309,860
P.S.: I cannot close without mention of my friend Louise Gallagher – friend, contemporary, writer, blogger, and champion of homeless people I made reference to in yesterday’s column wrote about me today. It was in her blog, commenting on my comments made yesterday on her blog. Well, this morning she made mention of that in her column and posted a link to mine, so it only seems fair that I point any of my interested readers over to hers where they can, if they like, read her daily postings, comment on them or buy her book!
Comments Received:
LOST SURVIVOR
I enjoy your postings. I enjoy your writing, hearing about your walks and how you observe each day. I can feel your mood swing almost before it starts to happen to you...because I am very much like you in that way. None of this needs to touch you personally...if you don't care to respond personally, I won't be offended. But I do hope you will keep sending your writing, LB, Dublin, OH (sent from Athens, Greece)
A person much wiser than me, said something to the effect…..”If you don’t like ‘where you are’, change your thinking”. Very true. Those words are the most important words in the Cognitive Theory of Psychology, in which I’ve had close to 20 years of training/education/experience in. Let’s adjust ourselves first before we TRY (ha!) to adjust/CHANGE others. We cannot ‘adjust/change’ others…..that’s their choice. We can ‘model’ what we would like to see them do or be like……that’s it….ball is now in their court…..their choice. Life is all about choices….., BM, Calgary, AB
