Who am I without this thing that has defined me for so long? Think about how often ppl ask themselves that question!
After a divorce or breakup where they defined themselves so much by the connection they had to their partner & who “they” were as a couple.
After a job loss or a retirement where they felt like they were part of the fabric of the “organization,” specifically, & its culture.
After a move to a new city, where they picked up & left friends they knew for so long & felt comfortable in their role in that “community.”
This is the question that our newest SameHere Celeb, NFLer: @joe.hawley grappled w, after his retirement from the NFL in 2018. He’d spent 8 yrs in the League, w the Falcons & Bucs, & many yrs before that preparing to be an NFL pro.
But upon his retirement, he wanted to know who he truly was without this story that he’d spent his entire life building up around him.
As a child, he didn’t feel seen or heard by his parents, & talking about their emotions was never a big part of their family dynamic. They held in what they felt which created an environment where Joe didn’t feel safe to express emotions openly.
Fortunately for us, & the world, Joe sold his possessions, & rode around the country w his rescue dog, Freedom, in a van, to find himself, & begin to define himself outside of football & outside of the dynamic of suppressed emotions.
I say fortunately for us, bc now there’s this beautiful human sharing openly – feelings & emotions: w pro athletes & everyday folks, as he’s done the soul searching work to learn more about himself, the world & even health & healing modalities.
I’ll have his full share, in Stories, for you to read. Welcome to the squad, Joe.
