Why is identity important to me? This is the Daily Disturbance podcast with Anthony Pangilinan. Because you do believe in the statement, right? Be yourself.
I mean, have you ever supported the battle cry, be someone else? And yet we find ourselves living that out many times. Come on, let's get real. Magpakatotoo tayo.
And for some, being someone else has been the truth for extended periods of time. Be yourself, Oscar Wilde says. Everyone else is already taken. Magpakatotoo at magsimula sa sarili.
Now, why is identity important to you and me? Number one, because of love. Why? Love is dependent on giving of yourself, right?
If you have no awareness of who you are and what you have to offer, it will be tough to give love effectively to somebody else. Paano ibigay ang sarili kung hindi mo alam ang sarili mo, ang katauhan mo? You can only give what you have or what you know you have. Number two, intentions.
Okay, why is identity important? Because of intentions. Intentions or purposes determine what we pursue in life. And when you know the identity of something, it's much easier to identify the purpose.
Richard Grant, and I quote, the value of identity, of course, is so often with it comes purpose. Kung alam ang katauhan, ang layunin ng tao mas madaling matuklasan. Erica Myers, and I quote, having a well-developed sense of self is hugely beneficial in helping us make choices in life. From something small, like your favorite foods, to larger concerns like personal values, knowing what comes from our own self versus what comes from others allows us to live authentically.
We are more real, in other words. Number three, values are another reason why it's important for you to know your identity. Because values drive decisions that drive results. With identity comes one's principles and values.
Ang mga pinahahalagahan ng isang tao. Now, whether we are aware of them or not, it doesn't mean that we don't have them. They're just deep-seated, right? And we need to reflect because reflections lead to the discovery of the unconscious.
Helmut Lange, and I quote, if you really have your own identity, you'll keep on doing what you think is really right for you. And you'll understand the next step you want to take. End quote. Number four, why is identity important?
Because of individuality. Individuality sets the stage for adding value to any community. Malala Yousafzai, I don't cover my face because I want to show my identity. Malala is a Pakistani activist for female education, the youngest Nobel Prize winner in the world.
If you recall, if you heard in the news, right? She was shot in the face by a terrorist because of her convictions, because of her advocacy. And as she recovered, she actually committed even further to her cause. If you know your uniqueness, your identity as a person, it is easier to make a contribution.
Number four, nature. Identity is important. Why? Because nature, right, who you are, is a God-given gift.
It's a blessing. Your individuality, your uniqueness, again, your identity. It's a given. It's not something that you create yourself.
When I won the presidency of a global organization, a youth organization involved in business and international cooperation many years ago, as a Filipino, okay, I experienced a whole lot of discrimination. As one coming from an underdeveloped country. And also in an organization where the base, the most active organizations came primarily from the advanced countries in Europe and America. I will never forget the words of an outgoing officer of the international office as I began my term.
He said, Anthony, you are put in this position at this time because of your background. Your background sets the stage for the purpose we have long neglected in this organization. And he was referring to relevance. You know, the organization was making a lot of money.
You know, it's active. Profit was unprecedented. Pero kulang sa relevance, sa tulong sa mundo na nangangailangan. Ang katauhan mo ay ang kontribusyon mo.
Number six, growth. Growth happens when a seed is planted, right, in the right soil, in fitting weather, nurtured with whatever nutrients that come from nature itself. Nature, your true identity, plus nurture, which is care, right, and feeding, leads to growth and fruitfulness. So why is identity important?
We have love, intention, values, individuality, nature, and growth, all rooted in identity. L-I-V-I-N-G. Why is identity important to me? Because living, L-I-V-I-N-G, is only possible when we recognize our identity, when we affirm it, and we allow it to express itself.
Miles Monroe, if you want to know the purpose of a thing, he said, you don't ask the thing. You ask the manufacturer of the thing. Do consider seeing yourself, your purpose, your identity, from God's point of view, from above, not below the clouds. My friend, you and I are invited.
We are forgiven if we believe. We are adopted. We are redeemed. We are saved, cleansed, blessed, secured, and loved.
1 Peter 2.9, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.