Now that we have written out some of our Identities, it is time to Understand the different Categories of Identities, and how Your Identities Fall into these Different Categories.

There are Ten Categories of Identities.

Nine of them are Transient Identities, that Change Over Time in Different Ways.

When we Begin to Understand the Transient Nature of these Identities, We Begin to See Why so many People Struggle at Different Points in their Lives.

To Understand the Transient Identities, You can Break them into a Three-By-Three Grid.

On One Side of the Grid, you have: Work, Relational, Energy

Work Identities are those that have to do with the Work that We Do - Think of the Role in Your Work.

Relational Identities are those have to do with the Relationships We Have - Think of Parent, Child, or Spouse.

Energy Identities are those that have to do with What Gives Us Energy in Life - Think of things like Athlete, Gamer, or Reader.

All of these are Transient because they can Change Over Time.

You can Get a New Job, be Promoted, or be Let Go.

You may be a Parent, but what that Means Changes from Infant, to Toddler, to Teenager, to Adult.

You may be an Athlete, but the Type of Athlete May Change, or Your Body May Prevent You from Being the Same Type of Athlete Over Time.

We See within these Identities How People Struggle when they try to Grasp Onto a Transient Identity Too Tightly…

The Depression from Losing a “Dream Job”…

The Feeling of Living in an “Empty Nest”…

The Pain when Our Bodies begin to Change How we can Act in the World.

On the Other Side of the Grid: Conditional Masks, Environmental Expectations, and Reactional Shadows

Our Conditional Masks are How We Want Others to View Us within Different Identities - Think of the Type of Parent that You Want to Be.

Environmental Expectations are the Aspects of Identities that Exist within Our Cultures or Communities that are Place Upon Us - Think of What Your Culture or Community Expects a Parent to Look and Act Like.