thanks!

Who you are certainly influences the activities you engage in. Your vocation quote touches on that; that our character is what should drive our activities. But I’m not so sure that the activities you engage in are the be-all end-all of who you are. And I’m not sure that your post’s title accurately reflects what you are trying to look at within the body of your post.

…I mean, what happens if, in five years, you haven’t accomplished the would-like-to’s on your list? For example, where I am now is most certainly NOT where I envisioned myself five years ago. In some ways, I moved backwards a few very large steps in the life plan (and yet, have come to a way better place regardless, but that’s another story).

But does that really change who I am? Five year plans change. Activities pursued change. But I don’t necessarily know that our core being changes. We grow, for sure. I have definitely grown in many aspects of my character over the last five, ten, fifteen years.

But ultimately, I don’t think that WHO I AM has really changed. I am a child of God. Period. THAT’S who I am. He’s blessed me with passions and interests, and people with whom to share all of that. And because of those passions and interests, I have my own would-like-to lists.

But if I don’t get to all–or any, even–of the things that I set out for myself, that doesn’t change the fact of who I am. Just because my activities change or I don’t get to all of them the way I want, doesn’t mean I’m automatically ‘running on the hamster wheel’ (unless I let it go that way). The would-like-to activities of my last five years have changed several times. My vocation as God’s precious child really has not.

Don’t let the things you DO determine your identity (which is who you ARE). They are just outward expressions of an identity fixed by God when He created you. The things you DO are prone to change, and are often full of uncertainty (as you clearly state in your post). How scary for your identity to suffer the same fate.