I had a great Zoom call with my friend Kate Brauning last week, during which she asked me to consider who I am outside of my identity as a creator and entrepreneur.
Hilariously/sadly/insert your own adjective here, I did not have an answer.
The tunnel has been narrowing lately, both in terms of my vision and my identity. I thought that’s how it was supposed to be as you got older — sort of like in the medical profession or academia, where you specialize in increasingly niche areas of expertise.
I’ve worked so hard (some might say obsessively) at cultivating the identity of writer/podcaster/teacher that I haven’t really left much room for anything else. But as Kate reminded me, “We contain multitudes.”
My thoughts went, desperately, toward my myriad social media bios, and how I describe myself there: writer, entrepreneur, podcaster, teacher, encourager… but what else?
Some of my older profiles mentioned that I liked books, reading, and rainy days. Oh, yeah, I thought. Another reminded me that I loved working with animal rescues and traveling. Right, it’s been a while…
What have you forgotten about yourself? And where can you find it again?
Words & warmth,
Sarah
Someone asked me recently, “Who are you?” And I replied, “A wife, a mother, a writer …” And he said, “Funny, the first two things you mentioned are who you are to other people.” It really made me think about who I am in a very visceral sense. If I wasn’t married or didn’t have kids, would I stop existing? If I didn’t write, would I stop existing? In some senses, that feels very true! But not the whole picture. He encouraged me to think about who am I in strong, definitive statements, not just in the roles I play. It was a fascinating exercise!
Wow! This is a huge realization. Thank you for sharing this with us, Krystina! — Sarah