7 Principles of Identity

Chapter One Tell the meaning The least of things with a meaning is worth more in Life than the greatest of things without it Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss Psychoanalyst Modern Man In Search of a Soul Being around children is an experience that can be very interesting and revealing. You learn a lot from children because of their simplicity and inquisitiveness. The truth is that whenever I am with my kids, I always prepare for loads of questions but I must confess that some of these questions I have never even thought about them before myself. Questions like, why is the sky blue? Why does a dog bark or why is the sky up? And so on. The problem however is that you better give them answers that are satisfying, else even your answers may lead to more difficult questions. They just seem to believe that their parents can answer any question. After all, that is why they call their parents 'Dad' or 'Mum'. My five year old son would ask any kind of questions and not just any answer would do. It has to be the right answer. Once, he asked: “Daddy, what is the meaning of fufu?” Knowing well that I have to answer correctly, the first thing I did was to be sure I understood what he wanted from me. He was not asking me 'what is fufu?' rather he wanted to know the 'meaning of fufu'. Fufu is a type of food produced from cassava and it is a well relished delicacy in Nigeria especially in the southern part of the country. What he was asking can be likened to one asking for the meaning of rice or the meaning of sandwiches or cake. What could the meaning of cakes, sandwiches or even fufu be? If the question has to do with what they are without asking for their meanings, I guess many would find it easier to explain. So, I thought for a moment, 'how would I answer so that he would understand and not further ask more questions on this same subject?' Then I quickly realize that there can be no other meaning to 'fufu' than the fact that it is just a type of food we eat. Having reassured myself that my prepared answer would solve his enquiry, I told him in the simplest form, “fufu means food”. He looked at me, nodded his head and smiled as if he was saying 'God saved you' . Seeing this, I heaved a sigh of 'temporary relief' and continued driving, hoping that no other question comes again from my answer. Of course! There is no child who does not understand what food is and for most children all they always want to hear is food. Removing the Veil Beyond the question of food, when children starts growing, they want to know who they really are and from this point the question of identity starts and it continues until they become adults. Whenever the word 'Identity' is mentioned, what exactly crosses the mind? What do people understand identity to be, or better put what is the meaning of identity? Like my little son's question which dealt with 'meaning' rather than 'what', it is only in understanding the true meaning of identity that the veil covering the faces of many living on earth today can be removed. If there is anything that every human being seeks to do, it is to define who they really are. Unfortunately however, the more most people seek to define who they really are, the more they becomes disillusioned because more often than not, they are always looking to the wrong sources for answers. The desire to define who we are cannot be easily wished away no matter how hard we try. The reason is because life is not complete without purpose and purpose is not discovered until the question of identity is answered correctly. In other words, the desire to define who we are is in essence a search for the reason behind existence. This is because there is a very strong link between identity and purpose. When identity is misplaced, everything gets out of place because identity gives meaning to purpose and purpose gives meaning to life. The world we live in today is out of order because many cannot confidently answer the question of identity. Many have no idea of who they really are and many are defining themselves by just anything they consider right. Thus, many supposed princes are living as paupers while many supposed kings are living as servant: There is another evil I have seen as I have watched the world go by… I have even seen servants riding like princes—and princes walking like servants a. Meaning of Identity You probably would be wondering what the meaning of identity could be by now. A simple way out is to first know that true identity is not solely dependent on physical things. This is discussed at length in chapter three. But for now it suffices to say that the meaning of identity has its root in what you have inside of you rather than in what is seen on the outside. True identity is the reflection of the mind of the Creator in the created, expressed as innate potentials and abilities that make the created unique and distinguished for the accomplishment of its purpose. In other words, your identity is directly from your Creator. It is that which He has on his mind ...