Everybody is somebody, but most people would find it difficult to respond if asked, "Who are you?" The straightforward answer would be to state their name, but that’s merely a label. It fails to answer the question behind the question.

Identity is rarely verbalized, but pay attention to a person’s patterns of behavior and it will be evident. If you know someone who’s always been out of shape, that’s an issue of identity. They can imagine themselves being out of shape. More importantly, they can accept it, which is why they are.

Identity may seem like an amorphous concept, but it’s not so hard to understand. It’s the beliefs you have about yourself, some of which you may not be conscious of, and the character traits that result. Character traits would be things such as consistency, unreliability, or curiosity. Taking it a step further, whatever you really believe about yourself will manifest as patterns of behavior.

Then who are you? You have to claim your identity, especially regarding your fitness and health. The key to staying in shape is an inability to see or accept being out of shape. You must identify at your core as health conscious. When you have that conviction, your behavior aligns, and you manifest a fit body and healthier outcomes than you otherwise would.

Who you are is not immutable. Whether it’s fitness or some other aspect of your life that you want to improve, start by claiming the identity of the person you want to become. Your behavior will gradually become a reflection of it.

Sayonara until next time.