The panel discussion on the East-West Identity: Journey & Transformations gave me an insight of my personal reality and identity. Charles Li states that those two aspects of an individual’s life is dynamic and changes according to our contacts and our environment. That perhaps, it is a reflection on our own actions that constitutes a sense of reality. So, I ponder upon the choices in my actions. To an extent, I would say my actions are a result of emotional state and not necessarily emotional rationale. I tend to react, identify myself and bring to reality my existence though the emotions that are at state. It may be called being true to yourself or doing as your heart feels. But, sometimes life demands circumstances that aren’t always crystal clear on what is rationale and what is emotional. Its those times when an individual takes takes his/her own road or journey of decisions to further identify his/her life.
Here we discover in life that people make what they become of in the future. They choose their own paths and go on their own explorations of identity. Through this process people are socially constructed along with their born identities. So, I concur with Katrin Hansing that to discover ourselves is to “see it as a process, be open to it and embrace it.” Our reality is essentially what we make of our identity and to establish that like Bruce Payne states is to be free of imagination and not to be bounded by society. To express freely our emotions and feel liberation. Therefore, it is in our own hands to pick and explore the journeys in our lives that make us who we are and uncover our personal identities.