Identity is Fluid

The rolling over of a new year always brings new opportunity to reflect and to plan goals for the next year ahead. This last year with the COVID19 pandemic certainly gave us all a lot to reflect on. I certainly spent a lot of time considering the moments and lessons that were truely valuable and spent a lot of time on personal growth. I feel incredibly grateful that 2020 was, in general, a positive one for my family and extended network.

My biggest lessons from 2020

Once your eyes are opened, there is no going back.

• Self-awareness is both a blessing and a curse. Once you start to challenge your internal narrative, your paradigms, you realise it becomes a life long process. The good thing is that after the initial period of pain and discomfort, you settle in to a familiar dance of flowing between growth and integration; with discomfort a constant companion and marker to remind you that you’re growing.

Life is better when you are growing.

• Between an event and a reaction is the space for a choice. Once you slow down and become aware of your triggers, you can better curate the way you act in life. You can chose not to ‘re-act’ old patterns and create your new attitude towards life. Attitude is, after all, the thoughts, feelings and actions that make up what we ‘Do’ in life.

Identity really is the centre of everything.

• I’m grateful I found my passion, my spark in life. The study and application of Identity is one of the glorious gifts my life has presented me with. My journey started formally 3 years ago but the more I study, I realise that right from day one, Identity was part of my very essence. Like everyone, we are a product of the environment we grow up in, the experiences we have in life and our attitude towards life. It’s the combination of all those things that creates our view of trust, our internal narrative around who we are and how others perceive us and drives the way we behave.

Connection is so important.

• 2020 taught us what it is like to be separated from the people and the experiences we love and define ourselves through. We learnt the value of online interactions and highlighted the value of technology in our modern lives. While face to face interactions provide a certain value and type of connection, digital interactions are what kept us sane, alive, working and connected. The way we act online is changing and so is our perception of digital identity and the value of online security and behaviour.

So it is with a humble desire to share my thoughts on how our identity shapes and defines us in this world, that I will share my views. It is my hope that I can inspire contemplation, conversation and awareness of the value of identity in our daily lives, education systems and digital ecosystems.

Please join me in the conversation.