journal - 29

Self can be defined as your soul, your self, and the real you. Soul is your spiritual self. The self is like your personality and self-perception. How you view yourself can sometimes be very different than how others view you, which is what I referred to as the real you. Which is other's perceptions of you and what the reality is of who you are. First and foremost who I am is a Christian. It sounds like an escape route from thinking deeply, but in fact my faith is the biggest factor in defining who I am. Down to my innermost being I am a Christian, and that is something that nobody can take away from me. Because I am a Christian I am able to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and have self control. Without being a Christian, I would not be able to be all of those things. Although I do not always do a great job at being all of those things, I have the capability and strive to be those things. Secondly, I am a Demczak. To me, this is big. This means many things. It means that I need to continue the family name of a good work ethic, strong character, and servant of God. Also, with being a Demczak, I am Alex's little sister. That has defined me and helped make me who I am today. If it weren't for the good example my brother had set and him pressing me to follow in his good example, I would not have as high of character that I do today. Thirdly, I am an athlete. To me, this means that I work hard. I try to let nothing go into my body that is not honoring to God, and therefore what comes out of me is hopefully honoring to God. I compete for the Glory of God. God created me to be able to run, so I run my best. Because I can. Another thing that defines me, is that I am a servant. I serve the Lord first and foremost. But I also am here to serve others. This has been one of my roles growing up, and it brings fulfillment to my heart to serve others. I am a person who requires much self reflection to keep my emotional self at its equilibrium. I am not quiet in my nature, but need quiet time with just me and my God every day to function. This is who I am.