{"id":2276,"date":"2024-03-20T10:34:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T10:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theoaktreepractice.com\/?p=2276"},"modified":"2024-03-20T10:35:22","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T10:35:22","slug":"who-am-i-the-acorn-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theoaktreepractice.com\/resources\/who-am-i-the-acorn-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Am I? The Acorn Theory"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nowa-days we often hear about people struggling with things like identity crises, difficulties finding purpose in life, and lack of direction. These can be difficult struggles to have, and they can have a significant impact on our moods.<\/span><\/p>\n Not having a clear sense of who one is and why one is here naturally leads to a sense of meaninglessness and confusion about what to do in life. The often-implied remedy: \u2018do what everyone else is doing\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n Not the worst advice, really, as what everyone else is doing must have some value to it. Otherwise, they would do something else, right?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this modern world we can follow the general patterns that work for most people and still feel out of place. For example, a person who is academically strong will often be told that they need to become a doctor or a lawyer. <\/span><\/p>\n They are told that if they go down such a path, they will have lots of money and gain high social status. What\u2019s not to like?<\/span><\/p>\n So, they work hard, push through studies and exams, not really of personal interest, but the gold is in sight further down the road, so they keep going. It is strange then that when the now Lawyer has reached the milestone, she\u2019s not happy. <\/span><\/p>\n She still feels out of place and wishes she had a role where she could work with numbers instead of people. She also wishes that she had more free time to spend time with family and friends, and that she could live away from the city and go hiking in the country hills on the weekends. She feels trapped and out of touch.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We also have the person who takes the opposite approach to the problem, perhaps understandably so. He avoids taking any path in life and stays at home playing video games or watching TV-shows where he at least feels some excitement. <\/span><\/p>\n People continue to tell him \u2018You need to go to school\u2019, \u2018Get a job\u2019, and \u2018You are useless.\u2019 All he can think when he hears this is \u2018School is boring, jobs are boring, and yes, I know I am useless. I believe you.\u2019 No point engaging with a world one does not fit into, is it? And yet, not engaging with the world leaves him increasingly isolated, purposeless, anxious<\/a> and depressed.<\/span><\/p>\n In both cases we see that something essential is missing in the person\u2019s life, the expression of their own unique character and interests. Likelihood is that they don\u2019t even know what these are. <\/span><\/p>\n It is possible that no one has ever encouraged them to explore them. Rather than focusing on their individuality and uniqueness, their natural interests, and skills, they have been pushed towards sameness and \u2018fitting in\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nShould I Do What Others Do?<\/b><\/h2>\n
What If Nothing Appeals To Me?<\/b><\/h2>\n
So, what could we do instead? How do we find our unique qualities and put these into practice?<\/b><\/h3>\n