What defines you?

This is a question I often ask myself.  It's not that I'm a super "deep" person, but I am someone that is really intrigued by the inner workings of people.  I want to know what makes each person tick - specifically, as an individual.  I want to know how to love my friends in a way that is unique to them.  Have you ever thought what it might look like if you knew all of your friends' love languages and treated them according to how they really desired to be treated?  Does that make sense?  It's tricky if you have 8 girlfriends and 3 need words of affirmation, 2 are loved through gifts, 2 are acts of service oriented and 1 needs quality time.  It definitely requires time and thought and focusing way outside of what might come naturally to you, but can you imagine the depth of relationship it would begin to create?  I think it could be pretty amazing.

Anyway, back to my original question...what defines you?  This has been a conversation I've had time and again with many people.  When you meet someone for the first time and say, "So, tell me a little bit about yourself" what is typically the first point they hit?  Their job.  I mean, I get it - we spend more of our life working than doing anything else, so sometimes that can begin to feel like who you are and what you do are one-in-the-same...but I don't think it was ever intended to be that way.  Now, how you do what you do...that might be getting a little closer.  Say you're a receptionist.  The job itself doesn't really define you, but the way you treat people when they approach you or call you...how you serve your boss and co-workers...the way you show Jesus in all the small things and big things...now we're getting somewhere.  The question starts to change and become less what defines you...but who?

I have to be honest, I'm typing this out and sometimes I have to stop and just sit on it for a bit.  I have to ask myself the question - is God reflecting through me?  Do people see him when they see me?  Am I treating others the way God would want me to?  Am I living life outside of myself or am I living a self-centered existence?  As always, I know what I want the answers to be, but I'm not sure how well I do any of the above.  Still a major work-in-progress here.

I heard the question asked once that if you could wear a tshirt that defined who you are in one phrase, what would it say?  As totally cheesy as it might be, I think mine would say, "Live. Laugh. Love."  If I were to die tomorrow I would want to have lived a life that was fully lived, laughed so much that I had major wrinkles in the corners of my eyes and mouth, and loved the way Christ calls us to.  Not only that, but I would hope that people would talk about my legacy and say those three things were what my life brought into theirs. Life, laughter and love.  That's the kind of story I want to live.

So what would your tshirt say?  How would you like your life to be defined in one phrase?