A topic that often comes to mind for me is identity. How do I, identify myself? A writer? A talker? Outgoing? Bubbly? Techie? Hippie? Spiritual?  Dog person? Cat person? The list goes on. The reality is, these are all adjectives and ultimately pieces of a whole. One person is no one thing. 

I used to think I was a fraud for my varied interests. Since I didn’t fit into a single box I thought it was a shortcoming on my part. 

There are people in this world who seem so completely devoted to one idea, one identity, that I thought for a very long time, the fact I was all over the map meant I didn’t add up. 

If I was having a period of time were I was more interested in makeup and beauty, then it somehow had to detract from my love of technology. Or writing. To devote time to IT and troubleshooting or enjoying software and what technology can do, meant I was not a creative person with a love of words.

I have many interests and while I may only go so deep into each of them, it doesn’t make them any less valid. It doesn’t make ME any less valid. 

The world we live in seeks to define people. I think it’s time we stop and just let people exist. We need to let people define themselves or better yet, live without definitions. 

• Mind Matters