Moving On From Yesterday’s Success, with Aaron Knipp

In the arena of identity, we often struggle to let go of negative aspects of who we think we are.  Past failures, old labels, experiences we cannot forget, mistakes we cannot change - It can be such a relief to realize we no longer have to define ourselves by those things.  But today Aaron Knipp talks with Cinthia about moving on from past successes.  Together they explore how even our talents and achievements do not define our existence as human beings created in the image of God.   In an age when crafting our own images and “personal brands” can seem like a full-time job, choosing not to park our identity even in legitimate success, talent, or the positive ways we defined ourselves yesterday is one of the best-kept secrets of a healthy self-image.

Aaron has been on the show previously.  At that time, Aaron was known for having lost almost 200 pounds, writing a book about that experience, and creating and maintaining a weight-loss app for others.  Aaron’s story included working through the unexpected anger he felt after losing the weight because people often treated him better than they had when he was obese, as if he had been previously unworthy but had now redeemed himself, or as if his presence had been embarrassing but was now acceptable.  Aaron explains that he reached a point where he no longer wanted to be known for having lost weight because neither his struggles or his successes in those areas could fully reflect who he was or what he had to offer.  He achieved other career successes but found he could not adequately define himself by those, either. 

Today, Aaron owns the largest public relations firm for keynote speakers and seeks to help his clients be known for the things for which they want to be known.  On today’s episode, he and Cinthia discuss human complexity, “identity withdrawals,” knowing what adjustments one is and is not willing to make, and not ruling out options just because they are difficult, unexpected, or don’t seem to match the expected image.  Aaron notes that tying identity to profession can be particularly common for men.  Cinthia shares some of her journey, as well, emphasizing that God did not call her primarily to utilize the talents she expected Him to use, though she has been able to enjoy those talents as “add-ons.”  Cinthia and Aaron note that receiving attention for a gift you have does not necessarily mean you have to make that gift the center of your life, nor do you have to marry your identity to what you have always done.  You can learn, and sometimes learning means moving on.  Sometimes it’s not even that big of a deal.  Achieving a goal is not necessarily the end of your journey.  You may cross the finish line, only to realize you are mid-step and do not need to stop there, or that there is another path waiting for you.  Your identity and worth are fixed by your Creator, but your explorations of that identity may take you somewhere today that even the best of yesterday could not anticipate.