Worlds Apart by Chuck Bomar

Author:Chuck Bomar [Bomar Chuck]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-310-57897-0
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2011-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

THE ARDUOUS PROCESS OF PURSUING SELF

Identity is not an issue during the college-age stage of life; it’s the issue. Much is processed throughout these years, but there are four underlying questions at the center of every search:

Who am I?

What do I value?

How am I unique?

How do I fit into society?

Answering these questions leads a person to self-awareness, a solid grasp on who they are, as well as a direction in life. Identity is critical to everything. All of our decisions and goals are driven by who or what we identify ourselves with. Whatever gives us our sense of identity will also determine what our life will look like.

In other words, it’s really important to think through.

I recently had lunch with a guy in his first semester at school. Three months of being away from home had him realizing some things about his life. First, he was beginning to see how good he had it at home. His room at home was much bigger than the dorm room he was now sharing with someone else. His mom cleaned the bathroom he used at home. A stark contrast to the bathroom he shares with three other guys and which nobody cleans. He talked about how much he had taken for granted the meals his mom and dad cooked. He talked about how he used to balk at his mom when she would tell him he had to come home for dinner. Now, because he’s been away for a while, he wishes he could have dinner with his parents every night. Cafeteria food three meals a day just doesn’t come close. There were all sorts of things like this he was thinking through after being away from home. Things weren’t nearly as bad as he used to think they were.

Time and space can cause realities like these to hit all of us at different points in life, but during the college-age years there is a massive influx of reality. They might seem obvious and simple. However, they are the beginning of something deep and complex. A person learns more and more about himself through these kinds of reflections. He learns what he values and what he doesn’t.

As I sat and ate with this young man I enjoyed hearing his new realizations about life and what he was discovering about himself. Smirking inside, I listened as he verbally vomited his thoughts out. It’s not that I was smirking at him, I just know that this is only the beginning. This stage of life will bring more thoughts that will cause his previous ones to change. He was certain about some things at that moment—things that would certainly be different soon. That was only the start of the beginning. There will be hardships and heartbreaks, laughter and joy, and a whole slew of circumstances and experiences that will help him learn about who he is, how he’s unique, and what he values. All of it will ultimately guide him in his life direction.

College is a time of mind-opening opportunities that lead to the mindset of a lifetime.

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