Congratulations on getting this far on your “Who am I?” journey! We’re now on “Who am I questions to help you find your people”, and this part of the series challenges you to recognise your tribe. Many answers to who you are can be found when looking at the people you associate with!
Humans are social beings
We know that humans are social creatures. We like being part of a community, group or club – and often these groupings become part of our identity. Most of us try to figure out who we are so that we can find a sense of belonging.
Do you:
- Strive to find people you can relate to, that understand you?
- Yearn to be part of some kind of community of people who get you?
- Hope to be part of a group or club where you’re both accepted and feel like you belong?
Then, yes, you’re pretty much like every other human of the planet (sorry, rebels).
Even we misfits find groups
I spent a lot of my life resisting authority, resisting being labelled, resisting being part of any kind of group, and maybe resisting for the sake of resisting! Only to start playing a sport called Roller Derby, which seemed to attract fellow rebels and misfits like me (aka strong, independent women 😊) and next thing you know, I had that sense of belonging and acceptance that I didn’t know I wanted. Soon enough, my cult, ahem, club, became my community and gave me purpose. Boom, new identity formed.
So how does your community give you insight into who you are? Let’s think about this a little more.
Who am I questions to help find your people
The first step on finding your tribe is to figure out who you are currently spending your time with. How are your relationships with these people? Do they make you feel good or miserable? If your identity is shaped by friends and family – who are they? What is their impact on you?
We make friends and form relationships with people who remind us of the characteristics we want in ourselves. If you look at the people around you, think about who they are and what they represent in your life. If the people around you aren’t meeting your needs, think about why and how you can change yourself and the relationship into one that does.
When you really can’t see a way to change these relationships, remember that your identity is a dynamic, ongoing process. If your identity flows and changes, maybe your friend circle needs to flow and change accordingly. This brings me to the question:
Can you actively create your social circle?
Let’s get into the exercise to really start to think about this
Blue-footed Booby Success Formula: Who am I questions to find your people
- What’s your current social network like? Write down all your friend groups and their interests – and whether you think they are pushing you forward or holding you back.
- List the kind of people you’d want to be around and why. Where would you meet them?
- What kind of people inspire you? Are you inspired by their deeds (actions) or their character? Is there anything in them that you can possibly emulate or copy?
- How do you want others to see you and remember you?
- How do you want to contribute to the people around you? Steve Pavlina asks who you want to be when you die. Which is an interesting variation on the contribution you’ve made in life.
Relationships are mirrors of who you are
Yes, these are big questions. But one of the biggest mirrors we can hold up to ourselves is the relationships we have created in the past – and the ones we choose to create NOW.
Part of your identity results from the many collaborations between you and the countless people you’ve met and formed relationships with. By analysing your tribe, you can find many clues to who you are in life and how this identity was shaped by those who raised you, loved you or even hurt you.
Relationships are part of the “who am I?” journey, where you belong and what you leave behind.
Keep your eyes peeled for part 5 of the series: Who am I? How your choices define you. For anyone who missed it, you can read part 1, part 2 and part 3 of the series while you wait to find out how and why your choices define who you are.
If you liked these “Who am I questions”, feel free to leave us a comment below, and please go ahead and share it.
Lastly, remember to join the blue-foot flock! We’re always looking for thinkers and dreamers like you to be part of our little clan. Blue-footed, left-handed, foot stompers and anything in between.
