I was recently called a ‘music junkie.’ I found the statement odd. I neither agree nor disagree, it just caught my attention. Am I? I might be. For that matter, though, what am I? Who am I? I sit in a room, a house, devoid of color and integrity. By that, I mean it needs to be repaired and is a combination of brown and faded white yielding to an unhealthy yellow. Certainly, this is not the environment I wish to be in. Our environment(s) helps shape our identity. This is not to say we will conform and become a part of our environment. We may also rebel against our environment and go the opposite direction. I look around me and see what could be, instead of what is. This continuous displeasure with my environment does help shape my identity as a person.
I dream about what my house, my place of work and rest, could be. I have clear ideas on what I want to accomplish. That has always been a hallmark of who I am: being able to be decisive and then translate vision to results. Plan slowly, execute quickly. I’ve been able to bring that talent to others as well, and assist others in their dreams. Therein lies the frustration. My identity has become something that may seem as if I live vicariously to an outside observer. That’s not really true, though. My capacity for compassion and patience seems to have no limit, even when it is clearly detrimental to me. I wish to both accomplish my dreams and theirs. That is who I am, that is my dream.
What else defines who we are, our identity? Words. Some would brush this off with catchphrases: “talk is cheap.” To an extent, it is. Words give us valuable information. Words give us intent, if we so choose to believe it. Intent for the proceeding action, which is even more important and we’ll get to that. Words also give us intent, clarification, for the past. How many of us are, or were, haunted by the past? Words are invaluable at healing the past, to enjoy the present, and build the future. How we use words, which words we use, and if we choose to use words all are a significant part of our identity.
Words go hand in hand with action. Without action, words become quickly harmful. Actions define us in ways that are difficult to describe with words alone. How do you accurately describe: loyalty, reputation, innate understanding, quality time, effort, and most importantly of all – promises, with a few words alone. Words give us intent, hope, knowledge of what is to come but all of that hurts a heart without the actions to follow. It is the actions themselves that give us the most powerful impacts of our identity.
Perhaps, we can draw a progression. Dreams lead to goals, emotions, and values. Emotions give us our intent, our motives, from which we pick and choose our words. Our words drive our actions. Yes, some people are very quiet and may only say something once. Some people may talk quite a bit and it is up to us to filter, translate, and decipher. However, the dream- word-action progression is shaped by our environment whether we like it or not. We shape it as it shapes us. Who we are, and who we want to be, are all heavily influenced by our environment. We all have stories about where we came from and where we are now. Let’s make our environments a better place.
~Monk Anchorwind
April 2016