HELLO AUTHOR FRANKLIN, WELCOME TO WORLDAUTHORS.ORG! WHO ARE YOU? AND BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION, I WANT YOU TO THINK IN TERMS OF YOUR OWN PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUALITY.
I am a loving, authentic, fear-less man of faith .
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY?
After graduating from the university, I landed a dream job in my field of study. After working there for some time, I started having this strong feeling that I was meant for more and that set me out on a quest to discover what more life has for me. It was in the midst of the quest that I had a transformational experience which introduced me to my calling and mission – helping people to become the best versions of themselves. Since then, my mission continues to motivate me .
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
I had I hit a rockbottom experience dealing with identity issues; it wasn’t pleasant. I was battling with low self-esteem, comparison syndrome, anxiety and lived mostly from a place of fear and scarcity. I later realized I was dealing with an identity crisis. While that was happening, I had told God and myself that when I found a way out from that ordeal I would help as many people get pass and, better still, avoid that crisis. I wanted to reach more people I so decided to start off with a book. That’s how The Identity Manual book was born.
WHEN IT COMES TO DISCOVERING ONE’S SELF AND DEFINING ONE’S IDENTITY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU SEE?
1. The need to conform to fit in with society is very prevalent ; society seems to have certain standards which are portrayed as being the ideal. And since no one wants to be left out, there’s this strong desire to fit in even when the standard violates one’s values and conscience. Conformity is so easy as it takes little to no effort. However, it takes a lot of courage to stand out from the crowd and be yourself. Always conforming to what society or others say especially about us can be a recipe for an unhappy and miserable life; you’ll be making everyone else happy except yourself.
2. It’s been said that comparison is the thief of joy. With the rising use of social media where people post only the reels and highlights of their lives online, there’s a rise in depression and people not feeling good about themselves. That’s mostly because there’re stuck comparing themselves with others, thinking that they don’t stack up. That’s when people start wishing that they were someone else and they completely ignore the unique beauty and brilliance residing in them.
3. This topic of identity and discovering yourself isn’t usually focused on in schools. (I am not in anyway knocking down the school system.) The typical school uses a basic standard to teach the students that’s like a one-size-fits-all. Those students who don’t seems to fit in that box are considered no-good and sometimes treated badly than the other students. Meanwhile, each person, being uniquely gifted and talented, may have different learning styles which I believe need to be accounted for at schools. This way each student can be given grace and time to discover themselves.
WHY IS IT ESSENTIAL TO DISCOVER AND DEFINE YOUR OWN IDENTITY?
1. When you know and love who you are unconditionally, you become very confident and unapologetic about your identity. It can be very difficult and almost impossible to fully love yourself if you don’t accept yourself. In turn, it can be hard to accept yourself wholly if you don’t yet know yourself well enough.
2. When you understand your identity i.e. who you truly are, it gives you an idea of your purpose. And purpose makes like meaningful and worth living.
3. It brings fulfillment as you strive to become the best version of yourself that you were created to be.
WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU COVERED IN THIS BOOK DIFFERENT FROM WHAT’S OUT THERE? AND WHAT PROBLEMS DOES IT HELP TO SOLVE?
Not only is this book based on personal experience, meaning that I don’t just have a head knowledge of this topic but I’ve lived it, it’s also based on a survey I had done to learn more about my ideal readers. And so it addresses their concerns and questions. The book also contains lots of valuable resources aimed to transform readers’ lives.
The book solves the problems of identity: not knowing who you are or what your life’s purpose is, not being confident in your worth, not loving or accepting yourself.
DO YOU HAVE A ROLE MODEL THAT FURTHER INSPIRED YOU INTO YOUR JOURNEY TO HELP OTHERS?
My dad. He’s an epitome of humility and love. I also have a number of role models who inspire me a lot in the area of coaching, speaking and writing ; a few include: Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy (i actually have an image of most of them in my vision board)
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS?
To impact the lives of millions of people around the world through my talks, books, coaching programs & courses. One of my speaking goals is to deliver talks on TedX stages.
ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING AT THE PRESENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
In addition to the short empowering videos I post on my IG and FB accounts, I am currently open to speaking engagements to share my message. Also, I have 2 courses in my pipeline and coaching programs I’ll be launching to further promote my mission. I am super excited about these.
WHERE CAN OUR READERS FIND YOU AND YOUR BOOK?
For my personal info – allroundachievers.com. And for the book, The Identity Manual –rebrand.ly/identitymanualbook
To know more about Author Franklin H. Ezenwa, you can follow him on Facebook @Franklin H Ezenwa, Instagram @franklinhezenwa and Twitter @FranklinHEzenwa