Do you find yourself wondering who you are? Do you sometimes question what you stand for or believe in? Do you feel at a loss sometimes when your opinions are put into question?
We are all a part of a society that plays a large role in how we see ourselves. Everything we see and hear in the media, social media and associating with different people can sometimes make us question ourselves and that can make our self-confidence waver a bit.
External sources quite often have the power to transform the way we identify ourselves. We may no longer always be able to see the good and quite often, tend to focus more on the bad. Or worse, it can even make us question our very core values and beliefs.
What Is My Identity?
Your identity is the total sum of your behavior, values, morals, and looks. There are three more important aspects of anyone’s identity. These include your language, your culture, and your religion. These provide you with a moral compass and help draw up an imaginary line between right and wrong.
Sometimes, the internet influences our self-identity. Hiding behind the screen makes it more accessible and way to easy to pretend that we are something that we are not. This type of behavior can often leads to severe negative consequences.
To get out of that vacuum of self-doubt, we must consciously make the decision that we like who we are, what we stand for and even, how we may look. That’s the beauty of having a positive self-identity. You don’t care what anyone thinks. Love yourself for who you are because there’s no one in the world like you. Yes, love yourself! Love yourself as though you are someone that you actually give a sh1t about!
Here Are Some Aspects That Help To Identify Your Uniqueness:
- Values and beliefs
- Interests
- Talents and skills
- Likes and dislikes
- Goals
So, Is My Identity The Same As My Personality?
Staying true to your convictions and beliefs no matter where you are in the world is what defines you. Your identity stays the same throughout the years.
On the other hand, your personality is how you behave. This changes according to the situation or circumstance you’re in You could be in a bad mood one day, but hopeful and positive the next day.
Another example of personality is how you behave around others. You don’t act the same around your work colleagues the same as you do when you’re with your family or friends.
Yet, even with all these changes in moods and behavior, our identity stays the same.
6 Signs For A Positive Self-Identity
Here are six ways to reacquaint yourself with your identity in a healthy, positive and productive way.
1. Recognize Your Weaknesses And Strengths
The first step in having a positive self-identity is to know where you excel. Maximizing your skills in your everyday life is how you shine as an individual.
It’s also about knowing the areas where you don’t shine. Once you’ve come face-to-face with your weaknesses, you’ll have a choice to make. You can either trust in your ability to achieve a certain goal and overcome your weaknesses.
The second choice is to accept that you’ll never be the world’s best pastry chef or computer programmer. That’s Okay. You’re much better in other areas than a programmer, for example, would fail miserably at.
Remember, life is all about how much trust you have in your abilities. Like Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t-you’re right.” Take a minute and think about it.
2. Plan Out A Purpose in Your Life
Setting out a plan for your life means you’re striving to have a sense of purpose. The best way is to combine both short-term and long-term goals. Without a plan how will you ever know of you are actually succeeding?
This plan should also include having a positive outlook on your future. This sense of hope will come in handy when you’re going through a difficult time in your life.
3. Form Meaningful Relationships
A well-balanced sense of self is established when you form healthy relationships with various people in your life. It could be your colleagues, neighbors, or the cashier at your local grocery store.
For one, it’s a great way to broaden your social circle. Plus, you gain certain skills, such as how to communicate effectively with others. It also teaches you how to resolve conflicts peacefully.
4. Take Part In Your Community
Your perception of self is heightened when you’re part of a group, especially one with similar interests to your own. Joining a volunteer group is one way to start. You can help out at local retirement homes or animal shelters.
Here are a handful of other ways to help around your community:
- Donate food, books, clothes, linens, cleaning supplies
- Buy from local grocers and food markets
- Look for local music and arts festivals
- Support local sports teams
5. Demonstrate Positive Values
Your values are what you prioritize in yourself and others. They also help you set up boundaries with the people in your life. Learning how to stand up for these values is a sign of a positive self-identity.
Some of these values include:
- Honesty
- Responsibility
- Compassion
- Trustworthiness
- Integrity
- Empathy
6. Avoid Unhealthy Behavior
We fall into certain bad habits that affect the way we see ourselves. These habits can range from how we see ourselves to things we do, like comparing ourselves to others. Some people turn to food, alcohol, and drugs to compensate for their low self-esteem. In all scenarios, the result is usually the same.
The following are some other unhealthy habits we need to avoid:
- Agreeing to what others want just to make them happy
- Putting others’ needs before your own to feel more accepted
- Procrastinating
- Talking bad about yourself
- Dwelling on negative past experiences
Conclusion – The Takeaway
Developing a positive self-identity is hard. But it is well worth it! When you acknowledge who you are and your view of the world, you become a strong individual.
The good news is that people already see a part of your identity whether you want to or not. They know from your actions, responses, and looks a bit of who you are as an individual. So, trying to hide it or run away from it won’t do any good.
Why not focus on the true identity within yourself, instead?
Take pride in your accomplishments, no matter how small they are.
What’s equally important is that you always pat yourself on the back. Encourage yourself to do a bit more the next day and try a bit harder the next time. Have a goal, work towards it and aim high. We all have what to do and we can all be better today, than we were yesterday.
If you don’t motivate yourself, no one else will! For many things in life, you are not only your best solution, but your only solution as well. So, get your self together and go out there and be the best you can be.
Be A Man – Do The Right Thing. Know Who You Are. Know The Good Things That You Stand For. Be Confident And Proud Of Your Identity.
BAM!!! Be A Man! Do The Right Thing.
Be the DtRTy Guy!