“Be mindful of the words that you use and the actions that you live and who you are and how it is you use your power. Keep clear at all times that you are what you say you are.”
~ Gary Zukav
“The hardest question we have to ask ourselves in this life is, “Who am I?” Ideally, we answer it for ourselves, but be warned that others will strive to do it for you – so don’t let them.”
~ Karma Brown
“Inner peace doesn’t come from getting what we want, but from remembering who we are.”
~ Marianne Williamson
Who am I? Self-reflection gives you an understanding of yourself and an answer to that question. Understanding yourself defines how you want to be treated and how you wish to treat others. Self-reflection is the basis of learning your social location. Self-awareness, in the context of social location, of your own shortcomings and struggles teaches you tolerance and understanding of others.
When you know yourself you understand your social location and are better prepared to acknowledge that all people in society don’t think alike or experience reality in the same way. Unless you answer the “who am I” question you can be blind to the experience of those around you and the experiences of those who have encountered discrimination or oppression. Knowing yourself is an opportunity to enable our differences to unite us.
Written by: Deborah Lavender, BMG Senior Consultant
Image Copyright: Georgiy Datsenko
