Collect the Evidence of Who You Want to Be

Your life has a way of organizing itself around who you believe yourself to be.

Your choices, your surroundings, your relationships, and even the opportunities you recognize are influenced by the story you carry about yourself.

Over time, you collect evidence to support that story.

The books on your shelves. The clothes in your closet. The conversations you know how to have. The things you've learned to do. The places you've been. The experiences you've allowed yourself to have.

These are artifacts of identity, and most of us collect them without giving the process much thought.

We inherit some of our identity from our families and culture. Other pieces are assigned to us through relationships, careers, and circumstances. Eventually, we become accustomed to a particular version of ourselves and begin making choices that reinforce it.

Identity doesn't have to be an entirely passive accumulation of evidence.

You can participate in its construction.

If you want to be a woman who knows fascinating things, start collecting knowledge. Read unusual books. Study subjects that have absolutely nothing to do with your profession. Become someone who can tell a wonderful story about an obscure historical event.

If you want to be a woman who lives beautifully, collect beautiful experiences. Learn about architecture. Buy the flowers. Develop a discerning eye. Make your surroundings reflect your taste.

If you want to be adventurous, accumulate adventures. They don't have to be expensive or extraordinary, but they do have to happen.

Every experience becomes another piece of evidence you can point to and say, "This is also who I am."

I think we underestimate how much of our identity is available for deliberate cultivation.

You don't have to wait until you feel sophisticated to become knowledgeable about art. You don't have to feel adventurous before taking an adventure. You don't have to be an interesting woman before you begin doing interesting things.

You become her, in part, by collecting the evidence.

Be intentional about the artifacts of your identity. You're going to live among them.



#GrownWomanMagic #IdentityEngineering #TheArtOfLiving #WomenOver50