A journey Into Myself...

 Each of us have a different answer to the question "Who am I" Some tags and labels become a significant part of us, such as the roles we play in relationships, our profession, our hobbies etc. The categories these belongs to include

• Personal identity
• Associative identity
• Egoic identity
• Familial identity

Egoic simply means “pertaining to ego” or “pertaining to I.” Egoic thoughts, motives, emotions, and behaviors are reactions in which I, me, and mine take center stage. An egoic reaction is one in which I am centrally involved

familial

/fəˈmɪlɪəl/

adjective

relating to or occurring in a family or its members.

"familial relationships"

Influences in forming our story

• Schooling
• Parents, teachers, elders
• Religion and faith
• Media
• Culture

Identification and Internalisation

Identification is the process of perceiving something as an inseparable part of yourself. Identification are highly personal, can change over time and can be positive or negative. 

Internalisation is the shift from 'I have' to 'I am'

I have 10 years of experience, I can speak well in front of big crowds. I have analytical thinking skills. 

I am experienced/I am an expert. I am an orator. I am intelligent. 

These two processes lead us to focus on only one aspect of our identity - that which may be core to our memories and experiences, that which may have been validated by others and so on. 

Being Mindful: Building an inside-out focus

The construction of a healthy and dynamic sense of self involves recognizing all the 4 aspects of identity, namely, familial, personal, egoic and associative. Keeping this in mind answer, answers to the questions will lead you to build your story from the inside out. 

How do I describe Myself? * If I don't go by existing norms.

• Who defines/controls/influences My definitions?
• What does success mean to me?
• How do I Evaluate myself?
• Who/What do I like?
• What is Fulfilling to me?

"Your Vision Will become clear only when you can look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." ~ Carl Jung.