Know Thyself: The concept of identity

“Knowing who you are gives you power over those who challenge your identity”- Unknown
We live in a world where sometimes a lot of things happen in quick succession, the cock crows at dawn and the day begins! Each day as we grow, living our lives the best way we know how, we develop values and beliefs as a result of our surroundings, and the pressure from our society to conform.

For some of us, once our feet hit the floor right after waking up and saying our prayers, we head out the door in search of our daily bread and, at the end of the day, get home tired and ready to call it a night. We never really have the time to do any other thing but prepare for the next day, and it goes on!

We are all created unique individuals with different talents and characters, what works for the next person will probably not work for us because of the way our identities are set up. You see, knowing yourself puts you in a position to choose what is good for you and what is not. Knowing yourself makes it easier for you to avoid the not-so-easy route of being swept up by what your peers think you should do, or what your goals in life should be.

It gives you the courage to say no to anything that doesn’t serve you or make you happy; it empowers you to not settle for less than you deserve, not just in relationships, but also in every aspect of your life. Realise that you have the power within you to sit, be still, tune out the noise of the world and figure out who YOU really are and what your own goals are. At first, this may feel like groping in the dark, but that’s the beautiful thing about self-discovery – you get to explore and identify with parts of your life and understand why you are the way you are, that’s something only you can do.

I used to think that knowing myself solely meant figuring out my likes and dislikes, but day by day as I experience life on earth. I have realised it goes beyond that. It is recognising what makes you feel fulfilled and excited about the life you are living and what you have accomplished.

The more you know about yourself, the more aware you are about what works for you and what doesn’t, you become immune to conformity and you have a good grip and power over your identity.

Whatever you are told about your identity becomes irrelevant because you know who YOU are!

Nkem Onwudiwe is the founder of Her Network – A Global Inspirational and Lifestyle Platform created to inspire and encourage all women to stand in their greatness and set real life examples by living their truth.