“The joy of living is his who has the heart to demand it.” - Theodore Roosevelt.

What is your identity, how would you define it?

According to Webster’s dictionary, identity is defined as “state of having the same nature or character with; absolute sameness, as opposed to mere similarity; individuality.”

We all realize that identity theft is growing at an alarming rate. FBI statistics state that between half a million to 700,000 people are victims per year.

So then, who are you?

Many of you will tell me, I am a doctor, lawyer, policeman or woman. An occupation shouldn’t define us.

Who are you?

Do you even know?

I can tell you that I am a columnist, but that is not who I am. Writing is what I do and love, but it is not everything about me. Who someone is isn’t based on an occupation, but rather their character.

We are told by psychologists that the first few years of life are critical to the development of a child’s character. That is why when we talk to children about serious matters we should always get down on their level. If we don’t get on their level, then it makes it seem like we are looking down on them, and that could feed feelings of being inferior.

I know people with such a bad inferiority complex they can’t go one day without putting someone else down.

Those people need to control you in order to feel good about their own inferiority. They attempt to put you into a box, demanding you be who they want you to be. They want you to believe that there will be consequences if you deviate from the box.

No one has the right to put you into a box, that is like kidnapping who you are. As long as you are under someone else’s thumb, you will never discover your true identity.

I will ask you again, who are you?

You can’t be who someone else tells you to be. You need to take charge of your own life and discover who you really are for yourself. This might mean finding new friends, changing jobs, or even moving away.

I know there was a time in my own life where I felt like I was just existing. I needed to change my environment, so I took a six week leave of absence from my job and went to college. I took a whole semester in those six weeks, while living on campus. I don’t have a degree and I don’t know if I will ever go back, but I have something more valuable, a renewed perspective on life.

Discover your identity, then you will really start to live.

So I will ask you one more time, who are you?

To read more by Kyle Snyder, visit www.Holmes BargainHunter.com.