What if who I think I am is not who I am?
In William Bridges’ The Way of Transition: Embracing Life’s Most Difficult (Persus Publishing/2001)… he writes: “One thing that the reorientation function doesn’t account for is that in reorienting ourselves [one of the phases of transition he presents in his work], we also have the chance …to take a step forward in our own development by letting go of a less-than-adequate reality and an out of date self-image.”
Reading this was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. It was a shocking thought…and one I am still processing. But the more I considered it, the more I experienced the truth of it.
We all have those moments in life when someone compliments us or thanks us for being a certain way and it catches us by surprise. Personally, I know one of my major core values is to make a difference for others. Yet, it sometimes catches me off guard when I get acknowledged for this. I don’t quite see the full picture of the impact my actions have until someone else reflects it back to me. So who I think I am in this arena isn’t 100% of the whole picture.
This is also true of the thoughts and perceptions I have about myself when it comes to ways I sell myself short or buy into my own limiting beliefs. I have a long history of accomplishing unique and extraordinary things, yet there are days and times I don’t feel or act like that person.
So now I must consider, how might my life be different if I really took Bridges’ message to heart…that who I think I am is not who I am? How might your life be different if you considered the same?
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