Name, rank and number

A training course I attended a few years ago started with an invitation to walk round the room, stop in front of someone and ask, in turn, three questions
• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Why are you here?

The rules were simple
• Only these questions
• One phrase or short sentence for each answer
• No comment, discussion or elaboration, on either side
• A different answer each time
• Never use your name
• Never use the nouns used to describe your profession, occupation, career, job, principal role(s) – paid or unpaid – in life

And we had to keep going until we’d done this with everyone in the room. There were about thirty of us.

It was a useful reminder of how we label – and thus limit- ourselves. We squeeze ourselves into pigeonholes – all very ordered and tidy. And rigid, limited in size and scope, inflexible, static, unchanging, (I could go on, but I’m sure you’re beginning to get the picture).

So, every day for the next month I’m going to answer the questions – both to remind myself that whatever I think I am I am all ways much more than that and that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts. It’ll also mean I’ve got a far more interesting – and real – storehouse of replies when I’m next asked these, or similar questions, for real.

And maybe you’d like to join me – and ask yourself
• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Why are you here?
The answers may delight and surprise you. I hope so.