Personal identity is commonly viewed as an externally driven phenomenon that offers no individual recourse, a conglomeration of inputs from the superficial to the soulful that describe a person’s essence. Occupation-based assessments are a good example. The first topic of most conversations between the newly acquainted is what one does for a living. The answer, tellingly, is usually framed as, “I am a blank.” Can these four words come anywhere close to defining any human being?
Of course not, yet we not only allow such self identification, we inadvertently encourage such simplistic descriptions of the indescribable. The greater danger is that this can lead to actually believing we are bound by the limits of a job, societal role, or illness for that matter.
Small talk is, in my opinion, a celebration of the superficial; a denigration of personal meaning and power. We are creatures of habit. How we act gradually defines who we are to the only person that matters: ourselves. We start to believe in single words, such as generous or miserly. And that leaves little power in the hands of the individual when a negative personality trait becomes unbalanced, turning an opportunity for insightful change into never ending self chastisement and helplessness.
Tomorrow is another day, but why wait? Identity is our living masterpiece. Fill the canvas with your personal colors, creating the beauty that resides in the contrasts of your travels, often in the most unlikely of places.