What Defines You?

I am defined by many things. I like to think I am first defined by my family -- my upbringing, my mother, father, brother and sister. They have impacted my life in ways they have no knowledge of. I am also defined by those around me. The relationships I have had, the people I have met along the way, my close friends, and my acquaintances, and those who have inspired me. And I am also defined by the events that have occurred in my life -- the experiences. The positive events, the negative events, the events I participated in, and the events I missed. And finally, I am defined by my emotions -- how I respond to situations, how I feel about everything -- good, bad, ugly.

While I think that defining instances exist, and some people are truly defined by instances or one-time-occurrences, most people are defined over time, by family, relationships, experiences and emotions. It is part of the learning process of life. Whether you are in school and as you become educated, you develop feelings, values, opinions, and the confidence to know and relate to them, or if you are an avid exerciser and constantly challenging yourself with more difficult workouts, pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone, thereby creating mental and physical obstacles to overcome. -- these experiences, people and interactions may define you more than a one-time occurrence.

I constantly wonder what defines me. What defines me in a given moment. Is it a max effort? A max weight? A perspective on responsibility? Or family? Does it change as I change? Can it vary, be different, and stay the same, all at the same time?? I think it is all of the above. I think it can be different, and it is constantly changing, as I change. I think that sometimes it is one given thing at one moment, and a variable the next. It could be a dnf in a workout, or a life-changing event.

Are you defined over a period of time -- a particular challenging time, or was there a defining moment in your life -- an instant that changed who you are? Or are you defined by what you do? How does what defines you change as you change? Are you continually redefined by the things that are important to you, or the things that impact your existence?

How does what defines you impact your life, your existence, those around you? Are you a better person for it? Do you wish you could be?

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