Are You in the Midst of an Identity Crisis?

Identify your strengths and turn them into a meaningful portfolio. It’s your strengths that carry you through, not the labels

Do you stammer when someone asks you what you do? You may give a short answer… naming the J.O.B. that puts food on the table. If you’re lucky, it’s also a job you love.

But is that the truest definition of you?

I read an article by Lyn Slater, a gray-haired, confident woman who calls herself the “accidental icon” because she stumbled upon modeling late in life by blogging about fashion.

She struggles with the media who call her an “influencer.” It doesn’t feel like it fits. She declares herself an “academic” or a “public intellectual,” but not an influencer.

Neither definition is the whole story, and she says, “Until this past September, I was a professor,” then after that, it’s more of a meandering account of what I do every day… writer, editor, model, art director, salesperson, researcher, activist, photographer, stylist, and even I might be bold enough to claim, an artist.”

We wear so many different labels, it’s hard to confidently claim one identity.

Many of us hold more than one job… The one that is our main source of income, and a side hustle we do for extra money. If we’re lucky, one of those is something we passionately love.

Working from home lends a whole new approach to our workday, often not interacting with anyone in person unless we meander out to the local Starbucks for a break.

We’re also different on the internet. What we choose to share on social media may be entirely different than who we are in the physical presence.

It’s no wonder we struggle with our confidence in describing ourselves when we meet someone new.

I once thought I knew exactly who I was, a wife and mother. Concise labels, that took a tremendous amount of focus and commitment.

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