But first, the results of the personal coaching giveaway, kindly donated by super personal coach and everyday heroine, Suzanne Blake ^[1].

I recorded the draw on video (1 min 39 secs) and would love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment here with your feedback and say if you’d like to see more of me on video, or if you think I should stick to writing.

What’s Your Take On Video Blog Posts?

I’m not trying to be the new Oprah, although I know she is kindly stepping aside for me, but I’ve read that blog readers enjoy videos or podcasts every now and then. Is it true? What would you like to see the odd video blog post at Get In the Hot Spot or not? And if so, how often?

Thanks for watching! And now for the main course:

What Everyone Ought to Know About Their Identity

Get back in touch with the real you

A guest post by Jared Yellin ^[2]

We have become a nation that is compromising our identity due to the societal pressures and past events that surface in our lives. Whether it’s sacrificing the “who we are” to be in an abusive relationship, feeling inadequate in a career, or tying our individuality to the amount of money that we have in the bank, all of these issues result in our inability to achieve our full potential.

Loss of Authenticity

Who said that it’s okay to base our existence on something that outside of our being? We are the problem because we do not listen to our intuition and that little voice inside which says:

“Stop doing that. Do not conform. Don’t give in. This does not feel right. Life is too short to be miserable. Take action.”

Far too many of us begin to live a life where someone or something controls who we become, and as a result, our authentic self is lost, as we begin to feel emptier than ever before.

If action is not taken, then people will continue to believe that their identity is defined by their abusive marriage, terrible career, money, eating disorder, drugs and alcohol, or even death.

Something obviously needs to be done because many of us are trying to fill a void with behavior that’s detrimental to our well-being. As a result, we’re getting further away from “who we are,” and once we have the courage to actually look in the mirror, we will have no idea who is looking back.

Getting Back In Touch With the Real You

The strategy that has worked for me in the past and has allowed me to learn about who I am and what I stand for in this world is a lesson that I call, “Ask yourself on a First Date.”

We’ve all experienced an awkward first date, where we’re sitting in a restaurant, coffee shop, or the park, and there’s a peculiar tension in the air. Both people attempt to analyze one another and learn as much as possible, in order to see if they would be willing to go on a second date. This could potentially lead to a relationship, engagement, and even marriage.

Take Yourself On a Date

What I would like to see all of you do is to literally ask yourself out on a first date. Find a place where you can answer the following questions, and begin to assess yourself and your IDENTITY.

• Tell me about yourself and your family.
• What do you like to do, and what makes you laugh?
• What do you do for a career and do you like it?
• If you could do anything, what would it be?
• Tell me about your friends and why are they so special?
• What makes you cry and what are you afraid of?
• Do you like being alone and what do you do when you are alone?
• What are you looking for in someone that you hope to share your life with?
• What makes you lose track of time and place?
• What is your purpose?

When you listen to the answers to these questions, would you go out with YOU on another date?

Do you like the person that you are presenting as or are you still struggling with an imposed identity?

You only have one lifetime to chisel out the individual that you want to be, rather than get stuck in a role that keeps you stuck forever. It is important to realize that similar to dating, learning about your identity is not an easy task, and it will take time to get to the point where you can actually look in the mirror and say, “I get you.”

But the journey to this place is worthwhile, because once you find yourself and are complete with the “who you are,” then locating the perfect relationship, job, or attitude about money will be attainable. Uncovering your identity is a process because there is a good chance that you have been a shadow of your true self for many years and conformed to your circumstances.

An anonymous author once said, “Identity is such a crucial affair that one must not rush into it.” It takes time and commitment to discover who you are in the same way that it takes persistence to find your last first date.

We all need to work together and hold ourselves accountable to learning who we are and what we stand for because when it is all said and done, your identity is what makes you…YOU, so choose wisely!

Jared Yellin is a motivational speaker, writer, and the founder of Brandentity, which focuses on combining your BRAND + IDENTITY in order to empower you to realize what makes you…YOU! Jared is on a quest to start an Identity Revolution, which will enable people to begin living the life they create for themselves, as opposed to the life that someone or something creates on their behalf. Please feel free to visit Jared’s website at www.jaredyellin.com ^[2] and subscribe to receive a plethora of free resources to help you reclaim your most precious asset…YOURSELF!

Thanks for reading

Please add your comments below ^[3] and don’t forget to get free updates by email now ^[4] or with the RSS Feed ^[5], if you haven’t already. That way, you won’t miss out! Thanks to Craig Allyn ^[6] for the smiley photo and to Jared for letting me to use his personal development article and sharing his ideas with us. I appreciate it.

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More Personal Development Articles

>> A Surfer’s Guide to Living Life to the Full ^[7]

>> 10 Things To Be Grateful For and Why You Should Be ^[8]

>> 3 Keys To Living Our Dream ^[9]

>> 10 Ways To Get The Life You Want ^[10]

>> 101 Ways To Feel Happy ^[11]