How do we define ourselves? When we introduce ourselves to new people, what is the data we offer? Do we present ourselves as what we do for a living? Do we pigeon-hole ourselves by what we own, what we drive, where we live? Are we only the information on our business cards? There is however more to us than the basic curriculum vitae. I am not just Joseph, a writer/artist/historian. I am Joseph who cares about art, who wants to preserve my nation’s history, who loves his dog, his family and his friends. I am also Joseph who makes mistakes, who has quirks, who can be confused by easy tasks but can remember buckets full of arcane information. The world is brimming with writers/artists/historians. But, there’s only one Joseph like me. Good or bad, there’s only one of me.
The same applies to all of you. Each of us has a gift—our passions, our purpose. None of us can be defined by one thing, one characteristic. We’re all human. We are all capable of both great and horrible acts. So, how do we define ourselves?
Today, I invite you to take stock of who you are. Not your career, not your car, not your address or the amount of money in your bank account, but rather who you really are. What drives you? What excites you? At what do you excel? Where do you fail?
Your quirks, your eccentricities—those are what make you wonderful. Make an inventory of your qualities. You’ll be surprised at how remarkably deep you are. And, in those depths of character, grow marvelous things.
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