I am a _________?
I just came back from Wisconsin, as you could see by my many posts about my brother accomplishing his 3rd Ironman and cutting over an hour off his best time. (Yes, I am a super proud brother! ). I was impressed by so many things; the power of the human spirit, the perseverance, the energy, and seeing people go way beyond what they at one point believed was impossible. Just plain awesome!
What I was really impressed with this time was the elation one felt after the announcer called the individual’s name followed by, “you are an Ironman!”
What incredible power that statement possesses. The individual, like my brother, could hold on to the identity of being an “Ironman” for the rest of their lives. Now, in order to earn that identity and title, you have to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles under 17 hours. Absolutely, no easy task. BTW, my brother trained consistently for 8 months for this Ironman.
This led me to reflect on how powerful the words “I am” is and a person's identity. I personally love to say, “I am a martial artist” and do my best to earn that identity everyday by training and living the life I live. Of course there are other identities that I hold, such as father, husband, entrepreneur, friend, etc, but this is the most prominent and drives my behaviors for all of my roles in life.
My question for all of you is, what is your identity and what could you connect “I am” to? Is it positive or negative? Does it serve you or hurt you?
Hmmm, something to reflect on.
