Defining Myself

I define myself by my beliefs. I believe our beliefs are the building blocks of our world view. Our world view in turn fuels our passions and passions fuel actions, imaginations and the very direction of our lives. Beliefs are the silent drivers of the car that is our mind. This is why my Indian origins, my lack of religious beliefs, my 16 years in Jersey and my language, telugu, do not define me. This is why my atheist father, unconventional feminist mother, indignant brother and my contemplative spouse do not define me. This is why my colored skin and my graying hair colored by henna do not define me. This is why no immutable property of mine defines me. My beliefs, on the other hand, are mine alone. They are mind animals that I can add, replace and tame.

So I will share with you a few things that make me me. I do this because I believe in the power of vulnerability. Without vulnerability there is no risk and without risk there is no trust and without trust there are no coalitions. Without coalitions there is no human progress big or small. And isn’t progress the purpose of life?

Progress is best made by a coalition that does its due diligence. This brings me to another of my core beliefs, due diligence. Without it, the failures in life are harder to take and successes in life feel hollow. But diligence means nothing, unless it is unleashed on worthy goals. I believe pondering over these goals is what makes life.

In today’s busy world, it is hard to begin to ponder these things. That is precisely why, I believe in regularly retreating to a much needed safe haven in my mind. A garden of peace, if you will. It is where there are none of the lingering demons of mundane modern life and of adulthood. A place where, like children, we run free and explore curiosities without hesitation, concern or fear. Where we return to nurture our dreams, our hopes and our ambitions to fulfill our human potential. Where we ponder, reflect and determine the small or large ways in which we can make the world a better place. 

I believe there is no such thing as inherent talent. That it is all a cumulative effect of circumstance, society and opportunity. I believe that the mind is moldable at every age and that all human beings irrespective of race and gender have the same potential.

I believe that changing the world is not a hopeless endeavor. The exploited and the underprivileged of the world are not hapless sectors of humanity whose burden I am to carry. They are powerful minds that simply lack the cumulative impact of opportunities you and I take for granted. I believe it is my duty to do my due diligence in changing their set of opportunities. 

I believe a malleable identity is an empowering tool. My identity is made of my beliefs and all of their subsequent impacts on hopes, dreams, aspirations, accomplishments and more. This view delivers me from the dark hopeless stone walled box of a room to the green meadow outside. This is not to say the dark clouds of archaic societal unfairness would not affect me. But at least I have intermittent sunshine and the ability to build an umbrella or a magic weather machine to fix it once and for all.

Finally, I believe in the power of words. They can inspire us to bridge gaps and unite diverse groups. They can motivate rapid change and do so for the better. But they can also kill the human spirit. They can break one down in cruel ways. They can dismantle relationships and communities. Their power to hurt is far more than their power to heal and we carry these dangerous but powerful spirits with us everyday.

One day I hope to rein in these spirits. Through practice and due diligence, I know I can. From that day on I will inspire our youth to see the limits placed on them by society and to redefine themselves in more empowering ways.