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Culturally Inappropriate: Confessions of a Code-Switcher
Manage episode 495278006 series 3453254
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Have you ever caught yourself becoming a different person depending on who you're around? That's the heart of what I'm exploring in this raw, unfiltered conversation about identity, purpose, and the exhausting work of being everyone except yourself.
After nearly 15 years serving in the military, the end of my marriage, and a dramatic shift in my financial situation, I found myself stripped of all the external factors that had defined me. Without these anchors, I was forced to confront an unsettling question: Who am I when I'm not performing for others? This episode takes you through my personal journey of code-switching and shape-shifting – how I became an expert at reading rooms and becoming whoever I needed to be in any given environment. While this chameleon-like ability helped me achieve certain goals, it ultimately led me down paths that weren't meant for me.
The consequences became physical. Anxiety attacks in situations where I once felt comfortable. A profound sense of purposelessness when clear objectives disappeared. The painful realization that I had invested my identity in everyone except myself. I'm learning that being what I call "culturally inappropriate" – authentically myself regardless of expectations – is both terrifying and necessary. This isn't about selfishness; it's about alignment with your authentic self and divine purpose. When we stop walking paths laid out by parents, spouses, friends or society and courageously forge our own, something remarkable happens: we find our true selves.
Whether you're questioning your own identity or feeling trapped by others' expectations, this episode offers a companion in that struggle. Join me in embracing the messy, beautiful work of becoming who we're truly meant to be. Have you been walking someone else's path instead of your own?
Chapters
1. Introducing Culturally Inappropriate (00:00:00)
2. The Problem With Code Switching (00:04:16)
3. When Your Life Falls Apart (00:10:05)
4. Identity Beyond Other People (00:15:59)
5. Finding Your True Path (00:21:29)
6. Being Authentically You (00:25:55)
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