I was recently asked to put together a short paragraph on who I am and what I do. Have you ever tried to encapsulate all that you are into a line or two? One would think it to be quite challenging and yet we do it every day.

Usually if we ask someone to tell us about themselves, the very first thing they will tell us is what they do. Upon them giving us this information, we will immediately put together an image of that person. The image will no doubt come with both general and our own preconceived ideas about this person’s identity all as a result of a series of associations. Eg. Accountant = wealthy but boring, model = beautiful but not very intelligent etc.

As a marketing manager I deal with these issues every day, it’s called branding. This brings me to my own very interesting and somewhat complex brand challenge; I am a spinning instructor, life coach, marketing manager and writer. And that’s just ‘me’ in my various work portfolios. Most people would possibly call these seemingly unrelated, collective roles nothing less than an identity crisis. For me it’s about doing the things I love that link to everything I do through my approach and my values.  

It seems to be a particularly Western idea to relate our identity directly to our vocation. And yet are we so much more than that. I often work with coaching clients to try to identify less with their respective roles, be it personal or professional, and more with their ‘essence’. The reason being that we are generally able to cope with change better, when we can navigate our way based on our intrinsic values, rather than our attachment to a particular title or situation. For instance if someone’s values include being value driven, energetic, passionate and fun loving; they will be able to adapt to a change, that allows them to live these values, more easily than someone who is holding to a particular image of themselves.

Of course we don’t always get to choose certain changes that occur in our lives; at least not consciously, but the key in finding happiness and peace lies in not being too tied up to the connotations of the old situation or role.

Anyway I still need to put together that paragraph so best I go and do that but before I go, I thought I’d relay the thoughts I saw on a fridge magnet today. It said “You are so much more than you give yourself credit for”

Remember to stay connected,

Love