Who are you?

You have to decide who you are and force the world to deal with you, not with it’s idea of you

-James Baldwin

I read this more recently, and was not shocked at all that it was from my favorite author. It has meant different things to me in different moments. At the core of this statement felt like something between a hard punch to the chest and a body rattling shaking of the shoulders.

It took me so long to decide. At times I still don’t know if I’ve decided. And that is a challenge to dive in a tackle as well.

I urge you to take a moment and think about who you are. Not what you want, not what you need, not what you’re doing. But, who you are. In doing so it sets off a series or other choices and decisions to made. Just take some stock in self and then we can get down to business. After the decision is made you can really begin to craft, design, work, and rework yourself.

Be you. Be you at costs unknown. Be you through your journey, through your fight, through your challenges.

The world is a difficult land to navigate. Does it have any feelings? I don’t know. Does it care definitively either way or is it more indifferent? That is debatable. I understand that everyone doesn’t have the same choices, but there are choices for us all to make.

Force the world to deal with you, not it’s idea of you. Make it clear. Clarify that when needed. Not in just what you do, but how you do.

You will have to interact with the world. Enter into agreements with the world. And sadly, sometimes vehemently clash with the world. Do so knowing why you’re doing it.