A week ago, we began an experiment: asking young people to create “identity shields”—simple visual tools representing who they are, who they might become, and what matters to them. What emerged was more than colored drawings or scattered aspirations. It was the beginning of something deeper: the crafting of a personal narrative.
"I love traveling."
"I am different because I like cleaning."
"My dream is to be better at ballet."
"When I have my own apartment, I will make fresh fruit breakfasts every morning."
At first glance, these might seem like random personal notes. But they are the early threads of a self-authored story. A narrative identity.
Psychologists Dan P. McAdams and Kate C. McLean describe narrative identity as the internalized and evolving story of the self that brings together our past, present, and imagined future. It helps answer powerful questions: Who am I? How did I get here? Where am I going?
The identity shield becomes the first draft of this narrative. And beneath these surface statements lie four essential forces that shape how we build meaning:
🔹 Agency – Setting goals and believing in your power to change.
🔹 Exploration – Trying, discovering, evolving.
🔹 Meaning-making – Connecting everyday choices to a deeper purpose.
🔹 Redemption – Turning setbacks into stepping stones.
Through intentional conversations—especially within families—we can help young people turn moments into milestones. Asking open-ended questions. Listening with care. Encouraging reflection. These interactions do not just support identity—they shape it.
Check out the blog text here: 📚 https://www.emberhart.com/the-story-you-are-crafting-building-your-narrative-identity-shield/
Every story begins somewhere. With a dream, a detail, or a breakfast of fresh fruit. The key is to recognize it as the beginning, not the end.
#NarrativeIdentity #YouthDevelopment #Lifeskills #CharacterBuilding #IntentionalParenting #Emberhart #BuildingBetterFutures #BloggerDad #VoicesOfImpact
