This moment in our lives when everything we thought “was” “is” we are faced with many questions about life and who we are. We walk around in this world in “roles” as defined:
the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation
When that assumed function or part is no longer relevant because the situation no longer exists who are you? The situational roles cannot “define” you as they are only relevant in those situations however those roles that are truly defined are who we are regardless of the situation. Mom is a role we play regardless of the situation, if you are a Mom you are and will always be a Mom. “Director of ______” is a title that becomes a role you play in a situation. That “title” does not have relevance in all situations.
Why do I go into all of this? Well because I think it is easy to identify with these titles that truly cannot define us however when we lack the definition of who we are we claim these titles as identity. The issue in a time like this when we are stripped of those titles, roles, or fantasies of who we tell ourselves we are or better who others think we are, is that we are forced to face what is left…who are you? Who are you…really???
This is the time to look inward, reflect, revisit your plan, and start over again. As Swizz Beatz, an American hip hop recording artist, DJ, and record producer said, “everyone should have a 2.0 version of their game-plan. If you don’t use this time you never will. How many times have you heard people say, “only if I had time to do…”. This is the TIME.”
He is right, the time is now to define who you REALLY are and then decide who you want to be and make the game-plan.
I want to offer you an exercise to try-out as you are exploring “what’s next” in this journey, building your 2.0 version of who you and who you want to be. This was offered by Tim Ferris in a 2015 TED Talk and can be very revealing if you just give it the time, the idea is not goal-setting but FEAR-setting…let’s explore.
- Ask yourself the following “What if I…?” and then do the work to “Define”, “Prevent” and “Repair”.
- Define — write all of the worst things that will happen if you take that step. Write at least 10 things that you fear will happen.
- Prevent — write down the answer to prevent each of these from happening or decrease the likelihood.
- Repair — what can you do to repair the damage if the worst thing happens.
- What might be the benefits of an attempt or partial success in your “What if I…” scenario?
- What is the cost of inaction (emotionally, physically, financially, etc.) in 6 mos, 1 yr or 3 yrs?
I like this exercise because it forces us to face the reasons why we don’t act on those things we say we want. It is more revealing than goal-setting because goals can at times become ethereal and allowing a sort of “hall-pass” if we don’t reach them. Fear-setting requires you to face IT, reveal IT, and solve IT.
Who is it that you WANT to BE, what is it that you WANT to DO, what is IT? We are all at a proverbial START LINE, we are ALL starting over at someplace and now is the time. If not now, when? Are you staying where you are because _______________ (fill in the blank)? How does that serve you today and how will it motivate you tomorrow?
Who you really are is here and now. You are no longer the titles that are bestowed upon you but are faced with who you are in “real” life. You are Mom, you are a sister, you are a friend or you are not. Only you know what you and who you really are and ultimately how much it matters to you to be that person or want for something more or different.
A close friend and mentor of mine called me the other night and as we were reminiscing over 21 years of friendship she reminded me of who I was when she first met me. She recounted, “You had no confidence and doubted yourself because of an education that at the time you did not have…” but in her eyes an education I did not need. She went on to recall that she could never understand why I thought so little of myself and thought so much of college/education as the person she saw before she already had the knowledge. You see it was not enough what someone else thought of me if I could not see it myself. I had to do the work, I had to define it and decide on it. She was right, I put so much weight in education that not having it discounted everything I DID know, everything I WAS. Three college degrees later I AM confident, I AM educated however I know now that I always WAS. It took time working on me, believing, and proving it to myself because it was important to ME despite it not having relevance to anyone else.
I tell you this story because it is imperative that you decide for YOURSELF as you define yourself. Not as others see you, not as you are titled in the outside world, not based on your reputation. Who are you…really?
John Wooden, famous UCLA basketball coach, says, “Your reputation is what you are perceived to be and your character is who you really are”…I leave you with this thought, this exercise and best off I offer all of this to you in a time that I KNOW you have the time to do something about it. Whether you do or you don’t, well that is yours to decide because ultimately it always comes back to that simple point of control…decision or indecision…ultimately you always DECIDE.
Who are you…really? Me? I am still working on it, every day…Always Starting…The Art of Never Giving Up — L.
Categories: Tags: Depression, Finding the Positives, 2020 Covid-19 Fears, character, furlough issues, get your mind right, identity, Out of work fear, roles, Self-Confidence, self-identity, self-reflection, Stay-at-Home Orders, titles, unemployment fears, working from home challenges Human Potential, Resilience, Self-Confidence, Self-Improvement, Uncategorized * *
Originally published at http://alwaysstarting.com on April 5, 2020.