Personal Identity: A Conceptual Analysis

Although I have developed socially, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally since childhood, I am still on journey in adulthood. As I am 38 years old married female, I am currently in Erikson’s psychosocial developmental stage of “intimacy vs isolation”. In this stage, a person must achieve a sense of individual identity before being in a committed relationship; which welcomes another individual to share an identity with them (Smith-Adcock & Tucker, 2017). Not only do I agree with Erickson’s theory about knowing oneself before truly loving another person, but I also agree how some women resolve their identity when they choose a mate which shapes their identity around traditional gender-role expectations from a sociocultural context as well
I knew what kind of life I wanted and what type of mate I wanted to share my life with. At this point, I had already finished an associate degree in accounting and was working in this field for almost five years. After meeting and dating my husband for five months, he proposed to me and my life quickly began to change. For within the following year, I became a wife, mother, and a homeowner, while I maintained a full time job as an accountant. Therefore, after reaching these major milestones, my identity was shaping and evolving around my husband, son and home culture. Although my husband’s values and beliefs were aligned with mine, my Hispanic/Latino culture and traditional sex-role expectations began to play a greater role in my life than my career. While my career did contribute financially towards my family, I found more meaning being a mother and a wife. According to Erikson’s theory, an individual like myself resolved intimacy issues before identity issues, as my children are older and I am asking myself, who I am as an individual. Even though I had a place in the business world as an accountant and an administrative assistant, I realized this career did not align with my personality nor the purpose God created me to be. Although I am grateful for my career in the field of business, I am currently pursuing a career that aligns with my values/beliefs,
According to Meyers & Sweeney (2015), the Wheel of Wellness are life forces that affect a person’s wellness that includes family, religion, education, business/industry, media, government and community. Furthermore, these elements have been reexamined and identified by five factors called the “Essential Self (spirituality, self-care, gender identity, and cultural identity), Creative Self (thinking, emotions, control, positive humor and work), Coping Self (realistic beliefs, stress management, self-worth, and leisure), Social Self (friendship and love) and Physical Self (exercise and nutrition)” (Meyers & Sweeney, 2015). However, as I reflect upon my own life and the Wheel of Wellness, I am able to identify areas where I am strong and where I need improvement to achieve an overall wellness