Excerpt from Foundations of Discord to Foundations of Healing Chapter 3 “Defining Relationships”

When having a discussion with a student or client, I am almost always led to ask the very simple question “Who are you?” When faced with this most basic of questions I find people tend to shy away from any answer that delves deeper than the surface. I receive answers such as “I am a mother, father, brother, sister, scientist, lawyer, doctor, nurse…” The list goes on and on. Unfortunately, I have found that most people define themselves by the labels we have been given by circumstance, community or society rather than action. In truth we are no more and no less then the sum of our life long actions, thoughts, behaviors and emotional connections.