Authentic Identity is Tricky

A little birdie told me that an authentic identity is tricky. Today’s social media platforms are designed to fool our Identity. We anxiously await the final number of thumbs up after posting a selfie or a particularly fascinating plate of food. If the number does not meet our expectations, what does our identity do with that? The false sense of importance and popularity can create defeating and negative self-talk. Rumination about that post somehow becomes bigger and all-encompassing. The safety to our sense of self is at stake. We begin to compare ourselves to what we do and what we look like. We no longer love ourselves for who we are. Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time based upon earning his 28 medals, 23 of them gold, he found himself contemplating suicide after the 2012 Olympics. If anyone achieved his goals, Michael certainly did. If your identity is connected to only what you do depression and anxiety can surface. What happens when you do not even achieve your goals – depression and anxiety can surface. Today, Michael Phelps is living his best life as a father and an outspoken advocate for mental health. If you could compare a group of interns and clinicians to an Olympic team, I would say we have the best team to help our clients find their true selves, their preferred identity. And that my friends, is what a birdie told me…