Today’s Word with Amanda
Amanda Alexander
I’m issuing a challenge to you today and that’s to ask yourself ‘Who am I? Aside from your academic qualifications or lack of them, your employment, parental, financial status or labels received from other people, I’d love you to step outside all of the above mentioned areas and ask yourself again this serious, pertinent question? Who Am I?
Some of you may already know who you are, but what defined you? Was it your experiences, religion, culture or environment that shaped you to make the decisions about your life that has placed you where you are today? The reason for this question is for you to come face to face with yourself to see if the life you’re currently living is truly yours or was it influenced by external factors beyond your control.
How you answer this question will determine whether you’re on the path to fulfilling your potential which leads to greatness or living a mediocre life which will eventually lead to regret. You’ll also know whether you are walking in your true or a false identity. The Philosopher Socrates said “An unexamined life is not worth living”,¹ to which I wholeheartedly agree, therefore it is imperative for us all to examine our lives and sincerely ask ourselves ‘Who Am I’. Your answers will provide you with the truth to know if this is the true or a fake you. To not find out who you really are is doing a great disservice to yourself, as you’ll never experience the true joy and happiness of life.
As a woman of faith I believe our identity is God given, I found my true identity in Him. Coming from an abusive, rejected background, I grew up having no confidence, being a people pleaser and didn’t have a foundation in my life. However I discovered how I was made and who I am from the Bible, resulting in me being a happy, confident, ambitious lady who knows what she wants in life and is on the right path to obtain it. I didn’t get here overnight as there were lots of bumps in the road.
So what shaped you? The long running debate of nature versus nurture continues, with many believing nature can exist without nurture. Kendra Cherry in her article ‘The Age Old Debate of Nature vs. Nurture’² explains the differences between nature versus nurture, she states;
“Nature refers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are—from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics.
Nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture”…
Upon analysis of Cherry’s article, it can safely be assumed that nature and nurture go hand in hand and cannot exist apart from each other. We are all born with genes and inherited some factors from our parents, which as we grow older we implement some into our own lives which also formed some of our experiences.
Furthermore, our personal characteristics (nature) and early childhood experiences, social relationships, and our surrounding culture (nurture) contributes to the way that we think, which leads to the feelings and behaviours that we manifest. Everything we do begins with a thought as confirmed by The Charis Counselling Centre³
So do you want to find the real you and start living a life of fulfilment? The change starts with the way you think, once you start changing the way you think, it will affect your feelings and subsequently your behaviour. Consider trying the practical exercise below, find a peaceful spot, and if you’re a person of faith pray. Get yourself pen and paper and draw four columns, (please note the suggestions below are not exhaustive).
Don’t rush this process, this could take days!
- In one column write the title ‘Like’, and the other column write ‘Dislike’
- Next column write negative thoughts and in the other positive thoughts
- Replace every negative thought with a positive one, (I use the scriptures to do this, Psalm 139)
- Write down everything that first comes into your mind in the respective column
- Ask yourself why you like or dislike that thing/habit?
- Where did the like or dislike stem from?
- What do you need to do to practically remove the dislike and embrace the like?
- If you’re criticising and condemning yourself please stop immediately
- Speak loving, kind words over yourself because that is the truth of who you are despite your mistakes
- Try this for 30 days and see how you’re life will change for the better
Until next time, remember you are beautiful and wonderfully made If you’d like to discuss this you may reach me on https://www.facebook.com/caribbeanhookup/– With love Amanda x
Amanda Alexander is the founder of Elect Lady Ministries & Amanda Alexander Productions All rights reserved ©
Disclaimer: Readers are advised that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to CaribDirect Multi-Media Ltd.
¹ https://www.the-philosophy.com/unexamined-life-worth-living-socrates
²https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-nature-versus-nurture-2795392
