A single experience has the ability to change ones identity forever. There are certain defining moments in a person’s life that can bring out a totally new man. Such experiences could cut across cultural systems and beliefs, some religious; others could be personal encounters with a person, place, event, opportunity, adversity etc. For example, the experience that changed the entire course of mother Teresa’s life was when she had to help a poor dying man who was denied urgent medical attention due to his social class, and finally died in the arms of mother Teresa, who as a result of that man’s death pledged her lifetime to helping people.
Have you ever wondered why some people behave consistent with an identity that makes no sense? Because I believe consistency is rewarded constantly and change is often met with pain, I don’t mean pain from within you; I mean pain from society, or other external factors. Think about it what do you call someone who says one thing and does another? You’ll probably say a liar, someone who doesn’t keep to his words, someone inconsistent. Well, nobody wants that, we link pain to creating change especially at the level of who you are. On the other hand, what do you call someone who stays consistent? That’s someone who is trustworthy, truthful, stable, someone you can count on, so what this does it that it tend to lock us into the identity we used to have which becomes a big limitation to our lives, either that or the limit of becoming successful in your career, business, or family or even achieving a certain height.
Often times when we become successful, we become superstitious. We think we have worked so hard to be in that position, and then we build a fence around ourselves, so that when people come around us suggesting a change in certain aspects of our lives, we refuse it, because we think that is what has made us attain that level of success. The level of thinking that has gotten us to where we are is not necessarily going to get us to where we need to go. To get to where we want to be, we have to take on a new level of thinking. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what has gotten us to where we are, but it is in sufficient to get us to where we need to be. What we need at this point is to perceive ourselves in a new way, not just our capability, but who we are right now, and the shift begins the minute you begin to define yourself instead of letting the environment do it for you.
