What defines you?

 

Is it my past or the present?, well maybe the aspirations that accompany the future. 

Self- reflection sounds like a fun concept until you actually have to sit down with your self and question what really matters to you and what defines you as a person. I was raised in a christian home and my entire life Christ defined my identity. Being a christian defined who I am. 

In primary I became invested in sports cross country was at the top of the list, the joy of approaching the finish line and the cheers on the sidelines shouting out words of encouragement and faith in you winning the race. That uplifted my spirit as a 9 year old and I knew from then that I enjoyed sports, throughout high school and university I became obsessed with sports. Joined the netball team, hockey team, basketball and tennis, the joy of winning made me juggle between practice and my school work. 

Sports defined me, it was my entire existence until I got injured in 2019 playing hockey and that setback didn't stop me from going back the following session in 2020 but Covid-19 had other plans. During the lockdown period I really had to sit down with myself and ask hard questions that rattled everything I thought I knew about myself - a young sportswoman who enjoyed being on the field, jokes with teammates and those pre-game selfies, circle prayer and words of assurance from the coach- who was I outside that sports field? what defined me?. 

At times we get so caught up on the comfort of what we have known and the routines we have formed around it, more like our nests of who we are. And we quickly forget that the bird finally does learn how to fly and leave the nest, Covid-19 was the 'mother bird' pushing us out of the nest we had built for ourselves- comfort zone- a nest we were not willing to compromise or should I say questions about ourselves that we avoided. 

What defines you outside what you do or what you are good at? tough I know.