Identity - Growing Up With Labels

Identity - Definition on Dictionary.com
The Sense of Self, Providing Sameness and Continuity In Personality

We've all seen the studies and heard the horrible stories, the ones where someone's life long career suddenly ends and within a few days they've dropped dead or committed suicide.

I don't bring this up to have a somber conversation. I tell you this to have a discussion and shed some light on a topic I don't feel receives enough attention.

The way we humans are wrapped up in our identities. The multiple roles we play as humans in a life time.

These roles are important and help shape our outer form, but when we tie everything we are into these roles and they suddenly change, the walls can come crashing down. Sometimes the change is planned and sometimes it's unexpected.

Let me give you an example. Jerry lives next door, he's been a logger for 25 years. Due to change in supply and demand for wood Jerry no longer can rely on his profession to pay the bills. He feels like it is the end of the world. He's a master at what he does. He's put his blood, sweat and tears into his profession. Over time it has became his identity. Everyone around his little town knows him and how he's won the local lumberjack contest several years in a row.

What If?

What if everyone had their basic needs met?

• Shelter
• Food
• Clothing
• Health Care
• Survival needs cared for

I often wonder what would the world look like if these needs where met?

Would creativity shine through?

Would people's pain bodies become healed?

Would people look forward to going to their job of choice, not because they had to but because they wanted to?

Would more entrepreneurs show up?

Would crime go down?

Would people have more tolerance for other people's beliefs?

Would there be less of a need to control others?

Would people be happier?

I invite you to ponder these questions with me.

Carol Lawrence is the owner of Social Media Help 4 U, a virtual based business that supports authors and businesses based on integrity. She is also co-authors the blog Intentional Conscious Parenting and is an assistant editor for the family and parenting community at All Things Healing. 

10 Tips for Managing and Organizing your Family!

1) Prepare a weekly healthy menu ahead of time. Once a week go grocery shopping for the ingredients you'll need to be able to stick to your menu. Make sure to include healthy low sugar breakfast items to start your kids off with brain fuel. Remember to include healthy after school snacks and items for extra curricular events during the week. On a budget? Check the local sale adds before heading out to shop. On the day of your extra after school activities stock a small ice chest full of healthy snacks or a prepared meal to have on hand to avoid the temptation of the fast food urge. Get the kids involved in learning about making healthy choices and planning out the weeks menu and getting them involved in cooking the meals.

(One of my fondest memories as a little girl was when my mom and grandma were in the kitchen cooking dinner. I was around three so to keep me occupied, I had my own cook station. A tray with a bowl and stirring utensils and extra food scraps, egg shells, vegetable scraps and such to mix away and cook my imaginary meal.) Always wash children's hands before and after handling food.


2) When your young children arrive home from school. Go through their backpacks looking for notes from the teacher, homework, or flyers for other schools events. Update your calendar right away with any new events and talk about your child's day. Make sure to ask your older children how their day was and what go over their assignments they are working on.

IT ENDS HERE….By Ian Hawkins

Guest Post by Ian Hawkins.

A very good friend of mine was recently telling me a story about his family and how he and his wife had changed their outlook on their life and that of their family. They were heading in a direction they didn’t like, one they were all too familiar with. And so they made a crucial decision – IT ENDS HERE. He actually used those three words and they have become like a mantra to live their life by. This is so powerful and so inspiring.

Certain beliefs and behaviors that had been stuck in their family for generations were repeating and they decided enough was enough and it was time for change. This generation would be where it ends and they would set a new example for their children and their children’s children to follow. And things are changing. I can see it in him and I can see it in the stories he tells me about his wife and children.

Alphabet of Child-Raising Ideas

(Click to enlarge)

While digging through some old files from when Carol's mom worked in daycare many years ago we came across this alphabet chart.

It was originally published in Ann Landers.
We fell in love this this soup of alphabet parenting tips.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Stay connected. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our free gift.
10 Tips For Parenting Consciously.
Join our community on Facebook and get connected on Twitter.

5 POWERFUL REASONS YOU ARE ALREADY AN EXTRAORDINARY DAD.

Guest Post By Ian Hawkins.

I had an interesting conversation with my daughter a while back. I was apologising for speaking to her with angry eyes and she said something so simple to me, and yet so powerful. “Dad, I don’t see any anger in your eyes, I only see kindness. It’s just your eyebrows that look a bit angry sometimes.” Brilliant! So while I was frustrated at myself for not bringing kind and loving body language, she was so beautifully reminding me that just because I had made a mistake, didn’t mean that I had angry eyes, it didn’t mean I was an angry person. What she saw was her “kind” Dad pulling an angry face.