You Didn’t Create Your Identity But This Is How You Can Change It

“In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.”-Erik Erikson

I used to identify myself as someone who was illiterate, didn’t fit in and had a learning disability. Now I identify as a self-taught polymath who reads every day and can fit into almost any social group. I’m going to tell you how I made that shift so you don’t have to waste years believing in a self-identity that does not serve you.

Creating My Identity

I’ve never been good at school. When I started kindergarten I didn’t speak English. I remember walking to school on my first day with my Grandma, I begged her not to make me go but it was no use. Frustrated and knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to get out of it, I told her “You’re wasting your time taking me. I’m not going to learn anything anyways.”

I walked into the classroom and looked around, I didn’t see a single person that looked like me. My teacher was white, the students were white and only one of them spoke any Spanish. When my Grandma walked out, I broke down in tears. My teacher opened her arms and gave me a huge blanketing hug. I will never forget that hug. I felt better but I still felt alone.