Identity

Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks, and/or expressions that make a person (self-identity as emphasized in psychology) or group (collective identity as pre-eminent in sociology). … A psychological identity relates to self-image (one’s mental model of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality.

We each have our own identity. Getting up every day and having purpose is essential to each of our well-being. I’ve talked to men who have imposter syndromes, and nobody would know it. I have talked to extremely successful women who admit to having imposter syndrome too. The bottom line, it is impossible to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.

Perhaps it is the constant access to media and an overwhelming amount of content, or perhaps it is the post-Covid world we are moving into. Still, we are reading more and more about people attempting to share what it is like being them.

I read an article on Black farmers who are finally getting Government relief funding that was never accessible to them before attempting to end years of racial discrimination. Their white counterparts feel that they are being excluded because of their race. I wonder if we will ever get to a place where the white farmers will ever understand how unfair it has been to Black farmers for as long as we can remember. Will, there ever been empathy towards what our history has done to the Black community?

When our kids were young, I was full in on motherhood. One night I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, who are you? I loved being a mother and champion for the family, but I felt I had no identity I could call my own. At one level, I felt like I let myself down. From the outside, everything appeared just great.

Most privileged white men have zero ideas of what that feels like. Or what it feels like to barely scrape by. Or how it feels to be a Black entrepreneur trying to raise capital not knowing how to play the game. Or possibly being the primary parent.

Our own identity is powerful. As we have more and better insight into each other’s lives, I hope that in the post-Covid world, we can be more attuned and understanding of standing in each other’s shoes. The last 16 months have been eye-opening as we all put our lives on hold, trying to keep ourselves propped up. It has been a bigger lens into the lives of others.

I am hoping that in the long term, that is a very good thing.