How does my complex and multifaceted understanding of my own identity – specifically considering the interplay of my gender identity (as cisgender female), my racial identity (as biracial, Black and white), my cultural background (growing up in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class suburban environment while maintaining strong ties to my Black family), and my socioeconomic status (currently lower-middle class despite my upbringing) – significantly shape my perception of what I am uniquely called to do in the world, particularly in terms of career aspirations, personal relationships, community involvement, and overall life purpose? I’m interested in exploring how these intersecting identities might create both advantages and obstacles, and how they influence my sense of responsibility, passion, and the impact I desire to make.
Answer
Your understanding of your identity significantly shapes what you feel called to do by influencing your perspective, values, priorities, access to opportunities, and sense of responsibility.
Perspective and Worldview:
- Shared Experiences: Your identity groups often share unique historical and contemporary experiences. This shared experience can inform your understanding of the world, including its injustices, inequalities, and areas where change is needed. For example, understanding the history of racial discrimination might inspire a calling to fight for racial justice.
- Marginalization and Privilege: Whether you experience marginalization or privilege based on your identity impacts your worldview. Marginalized groups may feel called to advocate for their communities and challenge systemic barriers. Privileged groups might feel called to use their advantages to support marginalized communities and dismantle oppressive systems.
- Cultural Lenses: Culture shapes your perceptions of what is right, wrong, important, and achievable. It influences how you interpret events and the actions you consider necessary or desirable. For instance, a collectivist culture might emphasize service to the community, leading you to feel called to work in social services or community development.
Values and Priorities:
- Cultural Values: Your cultural background often instills specific values, such as respect for elders, strong family ties, or the importance of education. These values can guide your career choices, personal relationships, and civic engagement. A value of environmental stewardship, perhaps rooted in Indigenous cultural practices, could lead to a calling in conservation or sustainable development.
- Gender Roles: Societal expectations around gender can influence the types of activities and roles you feel are appropriate or desirable. While these expectations are increasingly challenged, they can still subconsciously shape your aspirations. For example, feeling constrained by traditional gender roles might lead to a calling to advocate for gender equality.
- Group Identity: Your identification with a particular group (e.g., ethnic group, religious community) can lead to a strong sense of responsibility towards that group’s well-being. This sense of responsibility might manifest as a calling to address specific challenges faced by your community.
Access and Opportunity:
- Educational and Career Paths: Your identity can influence the educational and career opportunities available to you. Systemic biases and inequalities can create barriers for certain groups, while others might benefit from preferential treatment. This uneven playing field can shape your career aspirations and the paths you feel are open to you.
- Role Models and Mentors: Seeing people who share your identity succeed in a particular field can inspire you to pursue a similar path. Conversely, the lack of representation in certain fields can deter you from considering them. The presence or absence of role models can significantly impact your sense of possibility.
- Social Networks: Your identity influences the social networks you are part of, which can provide access to resources, information, and opportunities. These networks can shape your understanding of available career paths and the types of contributions you can make.
Sense of Responsibility and Purpose:
- Addressing Injustice: Witnessing the injustices faced by your identity group can ignite a passion for social change. This can lead to a calling to advocate for human rights, fight discrimination, or work towards a more equitable society.
- Preserving Culture: A strong connection to your cultural heritage can inspire you to preserve and promote your culture. This might involve teaching your language, practicing traditional arts, or advocating for cultural preservation policies.
- Giving Back: Feeling a sense of gratitude for the opportunities you have been given, or a sense of responsibility to uplift your community, can lead to a calling to give back through philanthropy, mentorship, or community service.
- Challenging Stereotypes: Your understanding of the stereotypes associated with your identity can motivate you to challenge those stereotypes and redefine what it means to belong to that group. This could involve pursuing unconventional career paths or using your platform to advocate for greater understanding and acceptance.
In essence, your identity is not a static label, but a dynamic and evolving aspect of yourself that interacts with the world around you. This interaction shapes your values, priorities, and perceptions, ultimately influencing what you feel called to do and the contributions you aspire to make.
Pray This Prayer
Heavenly Parent,
I come before you today, seeking clarity on the call you have placed on my life. I am mindful of the many facets of my identity – my gender, my race, my culture, and all the other threads that weave together to form the tapestry of who I am.
Lord, I ask for your guidance as I reflect on how these aspects of myself influence my perception of your call. Help me to see how my experiences as a [my gender/race/culture/etc.] have shaped my empathy, my passions, and my unique understanding of the world’s needs.
Where has my [gender/race/culture/etc.] brought me closer to the marginalized? Where has it blinded me to the suffering of others? Show me the ways in which my privilege or disadvantage has informed my perspectives and potential contributions.
Help me to use the strengths born from my identity to serve you and your children. May my empathy for [specific group related to my identity] translate into action that brings healing and justice. May my experiences break down barriers and build bridges of understanding between different communities.
Forgive me for the times when I have allowed my identity to become a source of pride or division, rather than a bridge to compassion and connection. Help me to shed any prejudice or limited thinking that hinders my ability to see your divine spark in every person.
Open my heart to hear your voice clearly, unburdened by the expectations or limitations that society might place on me because of my identity. Empower me to be a vessel for your love, using all that I am to serve you with humility, courage, and a genuine desire to build your kingdom here on earth.
In your loving name, I pray. Amen.