What is an identity shift? How to tackle in the core?

[Rafael Thundercat]

I am making a side research on Identity Shift. Because if we notice in ourself and other the truth is that a lot of what we do, or the way we behave is connected to what we belive ourselfs to be and all the baggage connected to it. For example, long ago when I was Indentified to be a Mórmon, many of my behaviors, the stuff I used to buy or care about were totally different than what I do, buy and care today. Today I drink coffee when I want, I drink Vine, Beer sometimes, I dont care about converting people to any ideology not even to the things I belive to be True today. 

But at same time there a lot of things I want to deconstruct in my present Indentity that are guiding the things I do, the way I speak and the things I care about. 

I am aware that there are a limit to removing layers of identity because there are parts of me that I dont want and dont need to change. for example I dont want to remove from my  identity the fact that I Value good communication, spacial organization, cleaningness, that I can be around smokers, drunk people ect..

This values limits me from some activities? Yes they do. I am not able to be in a Bar full of drunk people, the smell of alcool is disgusting and I like to be around sober people. But there are other aspects that I still want to shift in my Identity.

I looked online for some ideias on it and the first thing that came was this article on shortforms from the book "Awaken the giant Within" Tony Robbins style hehe

Based on this below : the Core to change is to change the Belief system. Is that accurate or we can go deeper and sharper. Imagine you meet an NPC on a game and you need to make him aware that his whole world view is wrong. He is a clerk on a shop but he is only stuck on that role because he dont know any other way to be, and that by helping him to shift his inner algorithim he could become the very Protaginist of the whole game instead of just a NPC. 

-«the text below is from this link https://www.shortform.com/blog/identity-shift/

What is an identity shift? How can you successfully change your identity by changing your beliefs?

An identity shift is when you choose to change your identity, moving closer to your ideal self. In doing so, you can become the person you want to be and live a better life. If you want to change your identity, it’s a good idea to change your beliefs about yourself first.

Identity Shift: Avoid a Crisis

If you take actions that conflict with your identity, it can create internal confusion that leads to an identity crisis. Identity crises cause you to feel disoriented, question your beliefs, and fear the pain of the unknown. For example, if you identify as an honest person and then you lie to your spouse, on top of your guilt for lying, you may be in disbelief that you lied because it goes against who you are, and you may start to question whether you truly know yourself. 

In other cases, identity crises are triggered not by actions you take, but by experiences you have. One common example is the midlife crisis, which results from a struggle to transition from the identity of a young person to that of an aging person. A midlife crisis is usually triggered by something that conflicts with your perceived identity as a young person: You reach a certain age, you notice your body aging, or someone says something to you that they wouldn’t say to a younger person. 

Anytime you adopt an identity that’s tied to something that changes—such as your age, attractiveness, or job—you’re almost guaranteeing an identity crisis at some point down the road. 

How to Have an Identity Shift

To avoid an identity crisis, if you want to change your behavior, change your identity to fit the behavior you want to maintain. Since your identity comprises your beliefs about yourself, use the strategies we’ve already discussed for changing beliefs to do this. For example, if you want to lose weight and become stronger, you need to shed the identity of an overweight person (and the belief that this is fundamentally who you are) and adopt the belief that you are a healthy person. With your new identity, when someone gives you the choice between a donut and oatmeal, you’ll be less tempted to indulge in the donut because that’s just not who you are—rather, you are someone who values your health and longevity, and the way to support those values is to choose the oatmeal. 

[LastThursday]

My take is that identity is nothing more than storytelling. Some of the stories we've embodied unconsciously over time, picked up from culture or experiences of pain and joy. Beliefs are stories we think are true. Identity is like a character in a novel, it works in the same way except the character is you and the novel is your life. The character doesn't exist outside the novel and we're a lot freer than a character in a novel. We're freer than we want to believe.

Identity has a weight to it, it's hard to push around and shift, because that is what an identity is a thing that resists change. I'd say it's not so easy as just willing yourself to change, a big weight needs a hard push, or many small pushes over time.

My feeling is that to shift identity requires not better storytelling (although that helps), but for the identity to become more flexible and playful. Part of our identities are also maintained by the expectations of the people around us - the social matrix - so there's also the resistance of that weight to overcome.

We can consciously practise being flexible. We can be morose and quiet one day, joyful and extrovert another day and so on. That way eventually we can pick and choose which identity to "wear" that best suits a situation or our disposition or just for the fun of it.

[Rafael Thundercat]

10 hours ago, LastThursday said:

Identity is like a character in a novel

and the set or scenery. I became aware that in different setting different parts of my identity turn on or off depending of the enviroment. Travelling to a different country gives you a place where all your identity attachments from your present place are absent to is like you get a sort of new clean board to explore different aspects of your psyche. I dont know how to express better but this I what I felt. Of course some core behaviors are still there but  a new location give you a leeway to create and develop different aspects of yourself. For example see how tourists behave when they are far from Home, some even become so entitled to do whatever they want that they dont care about going to excesses (I live in a touristic place and I see how British people behave when they are here)

10 hours ago, LastThursday said:

that is what an identity is a thing that resists change. I'd say it's not so easy as just willing yourself to change, a big weight needs a hard push, or many small pushes over time.

As I ex-mórmon that took around 6 slow years to deconstruct the dogma and cult mind from myself I can say that I know how hard was this. 

 

10 hours ago, LastThursday said:

Part of our identities are also maintained by the expectations of the people around us - the social matrix

Thus the importance of this :

and this : 

 

[Ishanga]

You can change Your identity via changing Your beliefs but that is just another trap, what You want to do is not do this via Your intellect or Belief systems, just raise Your Awareness and ability to Perceive Life, that You are just as much a part of Life as is a Tree, Plant or the Planet itself, all of it on some level is the same Life Energy or Essence, You are that too, so Identify with that.

We are too Intellectually Based, Intellect Divides and Separates, Cuts things up like a knife, for us to understand basic things so we can survive another day better, so its basically a Survival Tool, if You want the Absolute/God/Life Experience to its top level of Realization, then Identify with the Cosmos, with Everything as You being a part of it, it being a Part of You, then You will be at Ease and utilizing Awareness as Your basis of Perception, its like another form of Intelligence...

[LastThursday]

2 hours ago, Rafael Thundercat said:

give you a leeway to create and develop different aspects of yourself

That's it exactly. We have a huge pool of potential identities that we can develop already available. Most of the time we're just in our most developed and default identity, because it feels comfortable and familiar and our neurology is most attuned to it. To use a clothing analogy, say we have a huge wardrobe of clothes we could wear, but we only choose to wear a couple of outfits because we like them and they're familiar and we feel comfortable in them. We did we get all these clothes from? We borrowed (or copied) them from the people around us.

2 hours ago, Rafael Thundercat said:

I see how British people behave when they are here

Blush. We Brits can be notoriously badly behaved abroad. Sorry.

[Rafael Thundercat]

1 hour ago, Ishanga said:

if You want the Absolute/God/Life Experience to its top level of Realization, then Identify with the Cosmos

 not the intent of this thread to go to Meta like that, since we know this is not possible in baseline awareness so easy. My initial intent with  this post is more pratical and therapeutical, for example, imagine one is so Identified with being shy and he cant imagine not being shy and he wish to shift his whole daily life experience in social settings, he need to have a shift in many levels so he can actualize his new identity as being social and funny and all what being social involve. Let God realization for especial occasions and threads specific for it.  There is more to life than being Identified with the Cosmos. 

[Ishanga]

6 minutes ago, Rafael Thundercat said:

 not the intent of this thread to go to Meta like that, since we know this is not possible in baseline awareness so easy. My initial intent with  this post is more pratical and therapeutical, for example, imagine one is so Identified with being shy and he cant imagine not being shy and he wish to shift his whole daily life experience in social settings, he need to have a shift in many levels so he can actualize his new identity as being social and funny and all what being social involve. Let God realization for especial occasions and threads specific for it.  There is more to life than being Identified with the Cosmos. 

Then the next 2 steps down would be to identify with being Human, then there will be no more problems with other Humans, you will know the difference btw Man and Woman, and what the roles are in play in whatever society/culture you live in, you play the game of Human Life, with no real attachments to outcomes (establish your Beingness first before any action in the world is taken, that means peace is my stable emotional base) as much as one that identifies too much with sex, race, religion, social status and wealth status, etc.

A huge problem is ppl today have too many identities conflicting within, this causes huge problems and suffering within that person, they have no idea who or what they are on any significant level, so identify then with being Human, play the role You are in in a way that is fun like a game, I am a Man, I will play the Man role, caregiver, protector provider, can be very giving but strong minded and can love on a deep level, bla bla bla,.,

[Jwayne]

Self-identity naturally changes as we learn through experiences, including  intellectual/spiritual contemplation.

[Rafael Thundercat]

This Video touches a bit on ideias to work towards Identity Shifts : 

You can watch the video and take a look in the Summary I did bellow to see if there is something good for you 

Who are you when you are alone, and how do you think of yourself when you look in the mirror? This self-perception can actually predict how your life unfolds. If you have any tendencies towards self-doubt, criticism, crippling anxiety, perfectionism, or insecurity, you  hold an image in your mind of someone broken or inadequate. As a result, you will unknowingly manifest situations to prove this to yourself time and time again.

This dynamic often plays out unconsciously, driving a predisposition towards selecting those who provide confirmation of these negative beliefs. This isn't always obvious on the surface; it might appear that we are with very supportive and nurturing people. Yet, when something shifts, be it in romance, job situations, friendships, or family, those who once built us up may begin to tear us down, hitting upon these wounds. This happens because we attract and manifest people with complementary patterns, experiencing their projection of their  wounds onto us.

This dynamic can be complicated, varying with circumstances. However, the key point about self-concept is that it's fixable, and you don't need a lot of money to do it. You need repetition, time, and practice, but it starts from within. Next time you pass a mirror, stand there in a quiet moment without distractions and observe the feelings and thoughts that come up. Are they nurturing or destructive? What's the general vibe? Understanding your composite image, your running narrative, can reveal how you might be unknowingly creating a reality that proves your negative beliefs time and again.

If you struggle with self-concept, delve into meditation, journaling, or reflection to ask where this image comes from. Whose voice are you hearing? For instance, I know a mother who recently had a baby and talks harshly about her infant, reflecting her own childhood wounds. This self-concept wound, like others, can be passed down through generations.

Imagine a baby growing up hearing negative comments throughout childhood. Another example is gifted individuals told they are stupid or ignorant because they process the world differently. This can create a self-concept wound, making them feel excluded and alienated. Many people have self-concept wounds pressed upon them by caregivers' judgments. Understanding these echoes helps break generational curses.

On the awakening journey, many must reconcile that the person they were raised to be, or seen as, may not be who they feel they're meant to become. This creates inner conflict and friction. Without support, breaking out of a predetermined role can be deeply challenging, especially when surrounded by people with self-concept wounds who prefer you to stay small.

To heal your self-concept wound, practice self-affirmations and positive self-talk to shift the narrative. This requires discipline and repetition. Become your own best cheerleader before seeking validation from others. Celebrate your own successes internally first, even talking to yourself in the mirror. This strengthens your connection to yourself, making you less reliant on others' approval.

When you are your own best friend, you can filter out those who are not truly on your team. Share your excitement and pride with people and observe their reactions. Those who match your excitement are keepers; those who point out flaws or doubt you are not. Rebuilding your life to grow into the person you want to become requires discernment and setting boundaries with negative influences.