We carry the same name through life but is it right to think of ourselves as the same person? The same person as last week, yesterday, this morning?
We never are. We are only becoming.
I wrote this piece about a year ago now, during the questions and reflections of the first lockdown. What have I learnt since then?
- That each action you take is a vote for the type of person you’d like to become. The little things count and that’s exciting.
- It’s nice to have ambitions and fun ideas but they will never come to life if you don’t do anything. So simple yet so difficult. I have always wanted to create videos and share my ideas but never got round to it. In 2021, I am finally doing it.
- Join societies and groups. Be part of a community. I’m so fortunate to be part of a fundraising group of about 30 other students.
- Set yourself small goals. Cycle somewhere. Run down the street. Write a paragraph… Small goals give you the confidence to achieve greater things.
- Plan ahead. Spend a few minutes after reading this article budgeting, organising your goals. Take stock of where you are now and where you want to get to. It’s these important but not urgent things that I always put off. These will pay off.
- Most importantly, enjoy yourself! I’m at university, admittedly during lockdown, but I’m living with some of my greatest friends! Have fun and enjoy the process.
Without further ado, here is the article I wrote on March 24, 2020.
What makes us, us? Our personalities? Who am I? Who are you?
What are you doing?
Searching, same as you
After all,
Our personalities are the internalized and evolving narrative
Of the self
The self that reconstructs the past
And envisions the future
In such a way as to provide life
With some meaning and purpose
And we
You and me
Are the autobiographers, the authors
Of the story of our life.
Remember we are not our traits or our successes or our failures
Traits are given, but stories are made
And you are the author.
So, don’t ask who am I?
The question of the critic, the historian
Don’t create a fixed, permanent outline of yourself
Ask instead who do I want to be?
A question that starts an undertaking
A movement.
You see
The construct that we have created
Our personalities
Is so strong
That you have to do something extreme
To be able to transcend that
To be able to break through those things
Because we are so engrained
With our personalities
And we believe that’s who we are
It’s just when you do something to an extreme nature
Like an Ironman
When you push yourself to the limit
That you get to transcend that
To see what sits below the surface
See that you actually have a choice
That there’s something more
More than who you pretend to be
So whilst we are really attached
To who we are as individuals
There’s also much more to life
If we have that freedom of choice
So, who do you want to be?
Inspired by Aaron Ferguson
Publishing three posts a week on book reviews, my university experience, self-improvement and more. So make sure to give me a clap, a follow, or a comment if you liked this post!
