This week I finished reading Never Finished, by David Goggins. If you haven’t heard of him, I definitely recommend learning more about his life. Goggins is as hard as they come. He is tough, disciplined and doesn’t stop until he is finished.
As I was finishing his book, this quote stood out to me:
“Just as words can be redefined, never doubt that we can redefine ourselves. It can feel impossible at times because we live in a world filled with arbitrary boundaries and fixed social lines that are as thick as a walls around a fortress. Worse, we allow those walls to limit us in too many ways.
…identity is a trap that will keep you in blinders if you let it. Sometimes identity is what we are saddled with by society, other times it’s a category we claim.”
It made me think about how people often get stuck in their identity. People will often say things like “this is who I am” or “this is how I have always been.” These phrases are limiting and force you to stay the same. Why would anyone want to remain the same their entire life?
I started to think about how in school you are trying to figure out who you are and then you get a job and then most people stay in the same job or field, limiting the options for development. Society creates these false boundaries, but you can change them at any time.
I am committed to learning something new everyday, whether that has to do with personal development, a skill, or learning about another person's life. There is power in learning and if we stop seeking knowledge, then we stop growing.
This week I met someone who left the field of chemistry to pursue a masters in psychology. She changed careers at 36 and is currently working as a behavioral therapist. She took the position to see if she would like working in a school setting and then will compare it to an office setting. I was amazed to hear how she is exploring different options and “trying” something out.
I think we often label our life in definites or absolutes. Nothing is absolute. Embrace the impermanence of life and get curious. Learn more about different things, in the process you might even learn more about yourself.
What identity are you holding on to? Is it holding you back or is it helping you grow?