An Introduction

Sometimes it's when I'm on a run, or sitting at my desk, or wandering in the park, or even when I'm in the middle of talking to a friend. It's a sudden moment of epiphany. A stark realization. A humbling lesson. A simple truth. This little thing- that no one would think twice about it "meaning something"- maneuvers its way, somehow, into revealing a life lesson. A little thing that teaches me something big. Quite simple significance, I like to say.

This unique interpretation of every-day-life-stuff being like big-important-significant-stuff happens in my mind quite often. So... I decided to start writing the simple significance down. Read it if you want. I hope you enjoy and learn and grow as I have while walking through this journey called life.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Who Am I...?

Ahh, the life of post-college 20-somethings/ "emerging adults"/ Generation Y. The "seeker" place my peers and I currently reside. We are desperately searching for The Answer(s) to The BIG Questions, like "Who am I?" and "What am I called to I do with my life?" Other people ask us. We ask ourselves. But, why are we never satisfied until these super-broad questions get a very specific answer?

From my (short) experience in this identity-exploration stage of life, seems to me that discovering The Answer (the epiphany!) to The Question is (and call me a pessimist) not possible. Or healthy. It's constricting/ destructive to choose one Answer and cling to that identity forever.

Now I'm not saying we shouldn't seek to find what we are good at and what we love, what unique strength(s) can we put on the table, what characteristics we want to be defined by and how to be them. Those are things we should constantly explore, as they build our foundation, refine who we are, grow self-confidence, provide us something to offer others. But, I am saying that life is a process and it's complicated. You never know what you're gonna get. So searching for the epiphany, the one Answer within the chaos, takes a lot of energy, builds up expectations that are most likely not going to be met (automatic disappointment), and limits how the journey-called-life can mold us.

"I've been waiting all this time- to be something I can't define" (The Format). I think that's where a lot of the "quarter life crisis" stems from. I can either keep waiting for The Answer or I can be content with something I can't define. Enjoy the process. Live in the present. Become more me through embracing what's going on now instead of completely missing the growth potential because it doesn't fit the definition I come up with that says what's supposed to be. Period.

A 65 year old told me "I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up" and I think that is a great place to sit. Self-exploration is an evolutionary, growing process, not a one time Answer to such a huge Question. I don't want to live as-defined for the rest of my existence, but I do want to always be growing and discovering further how to walk in The Question(s) that will never fully be answered. It's uncomfortable, inconclusive, and chaotic most-of-the-time. But it eliminates unrealistic expectations and allows for pleasant surprises. And I like surprises.

1 comment:

  1. it's all about the process, not so much the content.

    amen, sister.

    ReplyDelete