Who Am I

It is a 3 worded question, but mostly answered inaccurately. Who are you? This innocently looking question is one of the hardest to get through not because of its complexity but as a result of our stereotype of not understanding the right way to present ourselves. Many due to years of brainwashing and bad history tend to use the wrong words and attributes to define who they are.

Most notable is the fallacy of thinking that who we are is measured by our financial state. Some refer to it as being pompous and I have seen a lot of it. You see a man asked to obey a queue in a bank and he looks at you defiantly either announcing to you vocally or by action – do you know who I am? And then he goes ahead to tell you how rich he is and how he can buy your whole family. Shame.

Some people also define themselves by the positions they hold. Hence, you see a lot of politicians misbehaving and causing chaos around because of who they think they are. The words that come out of their mouths in those forsaken periods are ignominious and reek of irresponsibility as far as I am concerned.

Another group cannot but let us know where they work as that is the definition of their lives. I used to know a lady who hung her id card on her neck even whilst driving to church on Sunday. I have also worked with colleagues in the past who cannot get over the fact that they work with a big company and use that as an assault material on young girls.

There are some who can’t wait to meet you before the horror stories begin. They describe themselves as poor, unemployed and other derogatory adjectives all in a bid to attract sympathy. Is that who you really are? I guess it is a time to start thinking and ensure a new mindset.

The above descriptions of different sets of people have one similar trait – their transient nature.
A rich man today does not neccessarily translate to riches in the future. One black swan event; he could go bankrupt. I guess a lot of examples abound of this grace to grass situations and should be a warning sign for all who gloat due to the wealth they have gathered. Those who just can’t wait to look down on the rest of God’s creations.

The highly placed politician forgets that his term or that of his boss carries a set number of years. Their misbehavior is the reason they prefer to sit tight when the time comes to take a bow; because of their misdemeanors. But they have to leave one day and then get a dose of the treatment they meted out during their stay in office.

The proud worker of a multinational also forgets the fact that he is not a shareholder in the company and he sits tight, enjoying the largess and ensuring that girls in the neighborhood are in trouble because of his hallowed position. He even thinks the jobs is for life and so there is no plan of doing his own things. But he is shocked to the bones when the call came for downsizing or lets put it in a milder way – right sizing. Companies will always do this, but when it happens to those who don’t define themselves by the company, they handle it better as their lives were never tied to the organization in the first place.

This is good time to reflect on who we really are. What our purpose in life is. Our main reason for being in this world at this time must be assessed. Using ephemeral things to define our lives only end up in sorrow and gnashing of teeth. We are too wired and precious to think that our whole life is tied to the inconsequential things of this world.

Selfishness has to evaporate and a new wave of responsibility must set in. A lot of people start their life in a good stead but end it up very bad. The essence of a man’s life should lie in service to humanity, making the world a better place. A man must also have priorities. Relationships with our family and friends surprisingly come first before all the jobs we can think of. When the die is cast, we want to run back to the people who care for us but were abandoned when we thought we were the in-thing.

As we are gradually getting halfway into the year 2009; this is a great time to do soul searching and meditate on this words. There is an urgent need to define who we really her. That might be the needed antidote for a lot of things going wrong in our lives. It is not a very simple process, but it is not complicated either. It just requires stillness, a piece of paper and a pen. You will be surprised that the things you will learn about yourself can transform you into the true achiever you are.

Thank you and I know you are on the path to self discovery and a fulfilled life.