HOW TO ADDRESS A IDENTITY CRISIS
The identity crisis is a deep call to rediscover your True Nature.
Embrace standing still:
Standing still can feel like dying when you’re used to frantically moving about. But stillness is peace. Stillness invites us back home. Stillness helps us to stop and reflect and be. Stillness is not your enemy (as much as the ego would like you to believe that), it’s your friend.
The identity crisis throws us into a standstill – and that can feel bewildering at first. The ego identity loves movement because it is distracting and self-reinforcing. Stand still and have the courage to find peace and clarity.
Embrace not-knowing:
If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we realize that when all is said and done, we cannot know anything with 100% certainty.
In the words of Greek philosopher Socrates, after all of his decades of learning, thinking, and theorizing, he concluded: “I know that I know nothing“
It’s okay not to know who you are or what you want. Take this as a permission slip to embrace not-knowing. It’s normal to feel a bit afraid or disoriented. But once you let go and accept that it’s okay not to know, you can find more inner space and peace.
If you still struggle to trust and embrace not-knowing, look at nature. Look at children. They “don’t know,” and yet there is so much freedom and spontaneity there; so much freshness and aliveness.
Ask, “Who am I?”
There are many questions other than “Who am I?” you can ask yourself, such as:
- What am I?
- What was my face before my parents were born?
- Who is thinking these thoughts?
- Who is experiencing this moment?
- Who am I when I don’t reference the past or future?
Pick whatever question resonates with you and stick with it.
What’s powerful about undergoing an identity crisis is that it presents an opening or gateway through which to explore who you truly are.
By asking the question, “Who am I?” and releasing attachment to all mental descriptions and ideas, you enter into a space of inner silence. You enter the realm of pure being, where the false self (ego) dissolves for a few moments or minutes, and the truth of who you really are remains.
Of course, self-inquiry can feel like a mere mental activity at first. But if you stick with this question with curiosity and openness, eventually, deep inner shifts can occur.
