In our personal development quest most of us want to discover the answer to this question. Yet it seems to elude us and even when we think we have it figured out life throws us a curveball. With an intense focus on personal development you can not only answer this question but fully take control of your life.

1. If you feel like you wake up everyday wanting to scream out loud “WHO AM I” or actually do
then you will want to read this post. I see people struggling everyday to answer the
question “What am I?” when we really need to focus on “Who am I?” Let’s explore the
difference so you can focus your personal development on the right question to start.
On a side note I was inspired by a friend of mine to write this post after watching her make
some amazing accomplishments in life and succeed at goals that looked like they would be
everything she could ever hope for in life. She will cherish having had the opportunity to do
and be what she was and she loved every minute of it but the goals didn’t give her the
fulfillment she was looking for. And so continues her journey to find what she is to do with
who she knows she is.
Both questions of “Who am I” and “What am I” are valid questions but the most important
one to answer is Who am I because that is the core of your very being and will not change
no matter what role you take on in life.
What Am I
I look at the question what am I as the way we define what we spend our days doing to
earn money. The roles that we play as you will. That is why most of the questions we get
asked by others are what do we do. This is the explanation you give over and over to
others which explains why so many people confuse what they do with who they are.
You are telling your subconscious that you are a lawyer, garbage man, mother and that is all
you are. The danger with this is the stigma that comes with our career choice. If every time
you say you are a retail clerk people and people give you a look of oh that is all you are it
weighs heavy on you.
Let me rant for a second. I don’t care what career you have chosen as long as you feel
fulfilled at the end of each day. If you come across people who judge you based on your
career choice don’t get mad (it wastes your precious energy on negativity) but feel sorry
for them that they feel the need to put others down to make themselves feel better. If you
feel fulfilled be proud of what you do.
You are so much more than the role you play in this world. We have to be because once our
role ceases to exist we lose all direction in life. If you are no longer an athlete, doctor,
musician, etc. than what are you? YOU. You will always be you regardless of the role you
play.
Where the issue arises is people spend very little time figuring out who they really are until
usually a tragedy or major shift in life forces them to.
Who Am I

2. The real you is the person you choose to be when you know no one who knows you is
watching. So many people put on an act by day to be the people they believe they need to
be to get ahead in life and a totally different person at night. If you find yourself
expressing that you can’t wait until you get home to be yourself it is time to do some self-
exploration.
This is what I call the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde syndrome. Not that you turn into a crazy monster
at night but there is a disconnect between what you express on the outside at certain times
and what is going on inside you.
Trying to be someone you are not is exhausting and stressful. Feeling inauthentic each day
takes it toll on your physical health and emotional well being.
Answering the question of who you are is not an overnight thing or a one day course. It can
take a long time and some serious trial and error. You will make mistakes and as you do you
will discover valuable life lessons about who you don’t want to be in life.
I wish I could just give you all the answers and you could magically discover who you are.
use your journal to write down every time you feel like you did something that day that left
you feeling complete and fulfilled. Those are your clues that you are on the right path to
discovering who you are.
It is difficult to distinguish between how our career leaves us feeling fulfilled and how we
felt fulfilled as a person. Always look to why it made you feel that way. Were you able to
express your creativity at your career that day? If so then you know expressing your
creativity makes you feel fulfilled so whether you are at that career or not you know you
need to have creativity be a part of what you do.
Look inside yourself. If you don’t know who you are no one else will either.
The Journey
Our journey in life will lead down many different paths and we will play many different roles.
I have been (and still am in some cases) a farmer, assembler, production foreman, retail
manager, warehouse manager, goal coach, Life Coach, father, brother, friend, leader and
the list goes on. No matter what role I play you will always get the same me.
The guy who is always willing to listen to you, wants to help you find happiness in life and
would love to know more about who you are and then what you do. I will always do my best
to be fair but am not afraid to say what I think and to push you to be the best you can be. If
you ask me a question about myself I would answer it.
I can play any role because I do not change to fit the role I make the role fit me. If I cannot
make the role what I need it to be then I choose to longer be in that role. I would not

3. choose a role if I had to change the person I am. If you are a happy outgoing person stuck
in a negative workspace where they do not encourage positivity, get out. It will destroy you
eventually.
Our goal is to first discover who we are and then find what roles we can play in life that
would leave us feeling fulfilled at the end of everyday.
Take Action Request:
For your take action request I am actually going to send you over to Oprah to take a great
quiz about Who Am I Meant To Be?
Your Life Your Choice Your Design
Darrin Wiggins
“Often, its not about becoming a new person, but becoming the person you
were meant to be, and already are, but don’t know how to be.” – Heath L
Buckmaster