Does that statement scare you a little bit? It did me. I noticed that statement in Jump Ship, a book by Josh Shipp. I’ve mentioned this book in a few different posts. What the author was speaking about was getting real with yourself about who you are. He considers this an essential task for becoming successful in life. The question one must ask is “who am I?” The answer needs to be honest.
The question isn’t very difficult, but the naked answer sure is. When you first consider the question you may have some ready-made answers like “I’m a mom”, “I’m short”, “I’m Caucasian”, or “I’m a doctor.” I would argue that these are just the roles you play. Other people come up with answers that include what other people have said about them like “strong-willed”, “efficient”, “lazy”, or “beautiful.” That may not be who you really are either.
To help with confronting your naked identity Shipp offers these questions:
- What makes you unique?
- What do you love?
- What are you good at?
- What do you believe?
I’d like to offer a few more:
- What do you dislike?
- What are you most afraid of?
- What makes you cry?
- What makes you laugh?
- What are you afraid to let other people know about you?
- What brings you the most pleasure?
You might be wondering why this is so important. Consider this. Suppose that I want to make chocolate cupcakes. I have my ingredients all lined up to make them. Unfortunately the canister labeled sugar actually contains salt. What will happen to the cupcakes? You can be sure that I’ll be unhappy with the end product. In life the same thing can happen. If we do not see ourselves with accuracy – confronting that naked identity – it can be difficult, if not impossible, to get the end result we desire. We must know what “ingredients” we bring to the table.
So, if you dare, confront your naked identity and get “cooking”!