Who are You Anyway?

Nothing ever happens in an instant. Rather, it is a slow journey – one step after another building into something greater. The sudden shift, the light bulb going off in your head, is but the realization of a change that has already happened.

That journey takes you many places. Some are expected and others unexpected. Some are the result of deliberate action on your part, and others seem to be random. Each gives an insight into who you are.

Sometimes it is a book. As the pages turn, you get the sensation that the author is inside your head, completing the arguments you are making. It’s as if they know your very thoughts. Three such books stand out. I am a learner.

The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz teaches that you can create your life. Instead of being driven by circumstances, you can bring about the circumstances. Instead of reacting, you can create. It speaks from our desire and love of making things. I am a builder.

Linchpin by Seth Godin teaches a better way of looking at work. Instead of being doomed to meaningless tasks, Seth challenges you to go deeper – to do work that matters. Such work is a gift, given not out of obligation or pressure but from the self. It is beautiful and human. I am an artist.

The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau teaches you to see life as an adventure. Instead of blindly following along with what everyone tells you to do, you can break from the patterns and live in a way that not only benefits you, but others as well. That life has room for the people you love, the work you enjoy, and the pleasures you cherish. I am an explorer.

Silence is another tool. When you stop thinking and let yourself listen, you hear things you may not have heard before. Your mind drifts away, and the part of you so often suppressed receives permission to speak.

As I plot the beginnings and vision of this project, I take a weekend trip to Woodstock, Illinois, a small town two hours outside of Chicago. In the stillness and quiet, comes the mission, and name, of the Bright Army. I am a lover of humanity.

Writing can also show us who we are. It forces the mind to take something abstract and put it into the concrete. That process brings clarity and understanding.

My previous website is, by nearly all accounts, a disaster. I post irregularly, I lack direction, and I have little commitment. But through writing, I find topics that I am interested in. Themes of humanity, poverty, and life appear on multiple occasions. I am one who seeks to make people matter.

The best way to find out who you are is to listen to other people. Others bring with them a different set of experiences and perspectives. They can see things that you cannot.

The first time since college that I write a serious essay is for my MBA application. Expecting lots of criticism, I give my essay to people for review. They love it. But I don’t believe them.

The next year, I start a website. I hate my work. The pieces don’t flow and lack depth. Friends and family say writing is good. But I still don’t believe them. They are supposed to say that, right?

The Bright Army gathers pace. People I respect and look up to – like Becky, Tom, and Bronwyn – tell me I am skilled. Such praise is not possible to ignore anymore. So I believe them. I am a writer.

Each of these components weave into your greater self. Like threads in a tapestry, they form something bigger – something magnificent. You are beautiful.

Knowing who you are is powerful.

It gives clarity to your actions. Does something fit with who you are? Does it resonate within? If not, than maybe it’s not the right thing for you.

It brings confidence. You find yourself walking a little straighter. Your eyes look a little higher. Your smile comes from a little deeper within.

It inspires others. People notice when you are genuine. They pay attention when you act from the knowledge and understanding of yourself. You believe in something. Belief is contagious.

But I should warn you. There is a price to knowing who you are. It makes your excuses hollow. It demands action. The shack of lies you have hidden behind fades away. And when you look up, you are staring eye to eye with the dragon.

Who are you? What are some of the threads that make up your story?

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Walking after rain. I made this photo in Zagreb, Croatia.
PS: A most happy birthday to my beautiful Sarah.