The roles we play

Have you ever thought much about how who we are is dependent on who we're with? I am a wife, a stepmother, a daughter, a sister. I am a co-worker and a team leader. I am a niece, an aunt, a granddaughter, a cousin, and a friend. And I can be most of these things in one day. And usually I can glide seamlessly between and among them without a thought. But then there are those rare days when it's hard to just be Me.

So what does this mean? Who sees the "true me"? Well that's the beauty of this. Everyone does because I'm multi-faceted and have different sides to my personality. Just because I get giggly with my friends and I talk about work and the dissertation with my family doesn't mean that either of those things are false. It's what makes me (and you) a complex individual capable of different depths, ideas, and characteristics.

Let's add more complexity to this. Your friends could think your great, your family can love you, but your coworkers could think that you need to get your head out of your ass. How is that possible? If you're great to some, can't you be great to all? Well no, you can't. And maybe that's a good thing. It keeps us honest and always striving for better.

For those of you who get overwhelmed with the different roles you play, remember this. You are great one way or another.