Thoughts on Identity III: There Are No Children Who Live Here

The second reason to pursue a sense of self that is separate from achievement is because this way of thinking naturally leads to a balanced life. This understanding of self will result in a heightened awareness of yourself as an organic person: one who has a context, a family or community they are a necessary part of, a person who has time to play with children and listen to the stories of those who have lived long and good years. Identify a place that places a high value on productivity and you will find a place where isolation is prominent, suicide rates are higher, and a population that has imbalanced age distributions. Manhattan is just such an example. There are no children who live here.

An awareness of how belonging shapes us will lead to a life that balances productivity with rest. And not just the type of rest that aims at maintaining functionality, but a rest that acknowledges worth which transcends productivity. Rest steps out of the working world to experience nourishment and the seldom transcendence that speaks to our souls. To balance our modern concept of identity with the meaningfulness that comes from belonging provides for the season when tragedy or old age will strip us all of our vitality. So, who are you, really, as a person? How you answer that question, shapes the world more than you would think.