Contest: Who am I?

Popular philosopher Socrates once said "Man know thyself".

In a world where pretending to be someone else and using a mask to hide our true self is usually the order of the day, who we really are is like a hidden treasure in a vast mountain. My story is that of kindness, resilience and personal growth.

I believe that every one of us has a unique spark in us, one that brings light and joy to the ones around us and the journey to discovering mine was one of persistence, self reflection and an unshakable commitment to becoming the best version of myself. Everybody has what makes them unique and special and experiences that make or break them.

The main reason I stand out amongst people is that I have a great personality and many people do say so too. I am naturally kind to people and I love seeing people happy. I know how to light up a room when I walk in. I also have a natural appeal to connect with people even if I'm meeting them for the first time thereby making them relaxed and free with me.

Besides I love making intelligent comments when the need arises. My friends have said many times that I'm special to them and the reasons are mostly the same; I care too much, I always want to see them happy and so I show that by my actions.

They also say they can rely on me to be there for them when they need me and I can be very intentional about people so much. What sums everything is my great personality I would say. It's my uniqueness. And because of my kindness and love, I'm special to my family and friends.

They usually say that "your experience make you or break you" 6 years ago, I would have said that my experiences in my life broke me and turned me into a person I wouldn't like to become on a normal day. I was a very withdrawn, depressed youth who couldn't see the growth curve behind all her experiences.

But moving forward, many years later and I can proudly say that everything I have faced and endured has only led me right up to this moment and I couldn't be any more grateful for all my experiences in life.

It has made me a more resilient, patient, outspoken, kinder, loving, peaceful, happy and positive person. I could tell someone "oh, this is how I used to behave 4 years ago" and most times it's always a laughing matter where I reminisce on those memories while appreciating the one thing my experiences done for me which is GROWTH.

I'm not where I want to be but I can proudly say I'm not where I used to be anymore and that's all thanks to my growing years and all my experiences. There's still more to come and whatever I'm experiencing now will also contribute to the person I will become in the future.

I have a number of moral values that define who I am and that's what people know me by. One of my key values is kindness. I believe people should do onto others what they would like others to do onto them centered around kindness.

This has been my greatest value for the longest time and although sometimes because we're not perfect, we can tend to misbehave, it shouldn't keep a person from continuing to show kindness. My values and beliefs sre evident in my lifestyle and that's what makes identity as who I am.

Growth has always been a major part of my life. In every aspect of my life, I am growing so that is how I see my self evolving in future. A series of growth, steady growth, spontaneous growth, healthy growth but I'll constantly be moving and never stopping. It's true that I'm going to make mistakes, and I will face challenges, but all those challenges will only make more mature and wiser.

What usually sets me apart from people is my kindness, my honesty, my fairness and my integrity. I don't want to change any of these internal qualities Instead I want to progress further with them.

In the end, it’s not the obstacles we face or what we have gone through that defines who we are but the values that we live by, the qualities we hold dear that enhances our identity and the opportunity to grow that we accept. Who I am through my experience and journey is only proof that staying true to oneself and believing in yourself has power for transformation.

Everyone should embrace what makes them unique, cherish their growth journey and be open to becoming the best version of yourself. By so doing, you'll serve as a source of inspiration to those struggling to discover their uniqueness.

I invite @ruthjoe, @soulfuldreamer and @eliany. All pictures are mine.