As author Glennon Doyle Milton says, “ask a woman who she is, and she will tell you who she loves.” This is absolutely beautiful. But it can also be quicksand. When our entire sense of self is invested externally, then external changes can cut us adrift.

Life is change. Careers change. Relationships change. Children grow older and… change. If our identity, our sense of self worth, is invested in these things alone, we are at risk. At risk of losing our identity, at risk of feeling lost and unmoored because something on the outside has changed.

Who you are is more than just what you do. It’s more than just your inner core of people, although those people are certainly part of who you are. but your core identity needs to be rooted in something underground. So that when the winds blow, you do not topple.

But finding yourself, and then learning to love that self, is a brave and noble journey. It’s never too late to start on it. The trail is winding, but it is marked with the things you love. The things that make you come alive, the things that capture your imagination, your compassion, or your sense of justice. If you trust those guide posts, and are brave enough to keep walking down the path into yourself, YOU will emerge.