{"id":8360,"date":"2025-08-03T20:03:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T01:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/?p=8360"},"modified":"2025-08-04T06:03:35","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T11:03:35","slug":"how-habits-shape-our-true-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2025\/08\/03\/how-habits-shape-our-true-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"How Habits Shape Our True Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We walk through life collecting habits. Some good, some\u2026 not so great. And like Ben Franklin once said, we work hard to shed the bad ones only to unknowingly pick up new ones along the way. That cycle\u2014messy, beautiful, human\u2014can leave us feeling inconsistent, unsure of what really defines us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the longest time, I thought I knew what my gifts were. I thought my purpose was clear. But somewhere along the way, life whispered a different truth. I returned to college, certain I was there to complete nursing classes. What I didn\u2019t realize was that God had a different assignment in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1733\" height=\"1300\" data-attachment-id=\"8364\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2025\/08\/03\/how-habits-shape-our-true-identity\/pexels-photo-3996734\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pexels-photo-3996734.jpeg?fit=1733%2C1300&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1733,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"man in blue clothing giving an old man water\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Sarwer e Kainat Welfare on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-in-blue-clothing-giving-an-old-man-water-3996734\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pexels-photo-3996734.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pexels-photo-3996734.jpeg?resize=1733%2C1300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8364\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3330996202161847;width:328px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Sarwer e Kainat Welfare on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-in-blue-clothing-giving-an-old-man-water-3996734\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pexels.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program required giving of oneself to those less fortunate. And it was in that giving\u2014a quiet offering of time, empathy, presence\u2014that something shifted. I wasn\u2019t just fulfilling a requirement. I was being shown what I was truly made for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that moment, I discovered my favorite habit. Not a habit born out of routine or discipline\u2014but one born of grace: <em>the habit of giving<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it\u2019s strange, isn\u2019t it? The habits that leave the deepest marks on our soul aren\u2019t always the ones we plan. They\u2019re the ones that find us, shape us, remind us who we really are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AfsS3pIDBfw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-blogging-prompt jetpack-blogging-prompt\"><div class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__label\">Daily writing prompt<\/div><div class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__text\">Describe one habit that brings you joy.<\/div><div class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__answers\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__answers-gravatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/282ec4ab0269041c75c9fc7de5a7e8c7d0dc781598539907b7bb1eabeb7168e6?s=96&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=G\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__answers-gravatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22dc15b0b2ad564a8a586ddb6d23709db2c483219c7593376fa8399071ea1d00?s=96&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=G\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__answers-gravatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/1.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7593c3baa90d036147d807d5db26d97fc799fc605fa8905c91c1c701dbb03cd6?s=96&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=G\" \/><a class=\"jetpack-blogging-prompt__answers-link\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.com\/tag\/dailyprompt-2019?locale=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noreferrer noopener\">View all responses<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We develop habits throughout life, some beneficial and others detrimental, often unaware of new ones we adopt. While initially seeking a nursing career, the author discovered a deeper purpose through service, leading to the realization that true fulfillment comes from the grace of giving, not just planned routines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132804860,"featured_media":8366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[401,5411,86178],"tags":[116305918,759384668,15298,83698,969199],"class_list":["post-8360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faith","category-gratitude","category-transformation","tag-dailyprompt","tag-dailyprompt-2019","tag-hands","tag-jewel","tag-true-identity"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9vUsN-2aQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8271,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2025\/07\/31\/beyond-the-surface-describing-the-true-self\/","url_meta":{"origin":8360,"position":0},"title":"Beyond the Surface: Describing the True Self","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"July 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The essence of a person extends beyond physical traits; it encompasses the unseen aspects shaped by experiences, faith, and divine influence. The writer reflects on their identity, recognizing they are more than labels or appearances, emphasizing the importance of being known not just by God, but by others, as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Character&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Character","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/character\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-28653592.jpeg?fit=1200%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-28653592.jpeg?fit=1200%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-28653592.jpeg?fit=1200%2C720&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-28653592.jpeg?fit=1200%2C720&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-28653592.jpeg?fit=1200%2C720&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3054,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2024\/09\/28\/weekend-priorities-my-to-do-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":8360,"position":1},"title":"Weekend Priorities: My To-Do List","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"What's your #1 priority tomorrow? My number 1 priority for tomorrow is to go to church and say my prayers, then mass and rest somewhere. But this is my weekend plans for this weekend. I am just getting back home from traveling with my job for two weeks. So, there\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Catholic&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Catholic","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/catholic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/weekend-activities.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/weekend-activities.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/weekend-activities.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/weekend-activities.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3019,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2024\/09\/22\/be-yourself-the-best-career-advice-ever\/","url_meta":{"origin":8360,"position":2},"title":"Be Yourself: The Best Career Advice Ever","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"September 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The best advice I received was to be myself during my first job after college. Initially, I tried to emulate my predecessor, who was humorous and well-liked. However, I learned that authenticity is crucial for gaining respect and building relationships, so I chose to embrace my true self instead.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Character&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Character","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/character\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-21.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-21.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-21.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-21.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4059,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2024\/11\/26\/dreaming-big-what-would-you-do-with-extra-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":8360,"position":3},"title":"Dreaming Big: What Would You Do With Extra Time?","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"November 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"If we didn't need sleep, we'd probably still binge-watch shows instead of curing world hunger! But hey, why not dream big? Let's chat with ants about relocating, navigate traffic-free space in funky flying cars, and let kids swing into the Milky Way. Who needs rest when imagination reigns supreme? Dream\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art &amp; Creativity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art &amp; Creativity","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/art-creativity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-25.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-25.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-25.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-25.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11931,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/01\/10\/tick-tock-the-thing-i-never-lost\/","url_meta":{"origin":8360,"position":4},"title":"Tick Tock? The Thing I Never Lost","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"January 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"What I treasured most as a child was not something I could hold, but something that held me. Through a small riddle about time, I rediscover that my greatest attachment was never an object at all, but the people and history that shaped who I am and who I am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Life Reflections&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Life Reflections","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/life-reflections\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A wooden grandfather clock standing in a softly lit room near a window, symbolizing time and family heritage.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clock.png?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clock.png?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clock.png?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clock.png?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15795,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/07\/27\/the-great-happy-ending-rewrite\/","url_meta":{"origin":8360,"position":5},"title":"The Great Happy Ending Rewrite","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"July 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Villains trip over their own capes. Old Yeller learns to swim. Every sad ending gets a rewrite, and honestly, the shelf could use it.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Books &amp; Reading&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Books &amp; Reading","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/books-reading\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stack of vintage books with sunlight streaming through window.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/whimsical-stack-of-classic-looking-books-.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/whimsical-stack-of-classic-looking-books-.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/whimsical-stack-of-classic-looking-books-.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/whimsical-stack-of-classic-looking-books-.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/whimsical-stack-of-classic-looking-books-.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pexels-photo-3791664.jpeg?fit=1880%2C1253&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132804860"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8360"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8385,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions\/8385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}