“Don't pay attention to what others say; whatever makes an individual happy is what they should do. This quote comes from my grandmother, who does her best to teach me about an individual's personal identity. An individual's identity represents who he or she truly is; it is something that allows a specific person to stand out from the crowd. Throughout an individual's life, he or she will encounter many obstacles that will shape his or her being and further transform him or her into someone with particular traits or an identity. Throughout my life, I grew up with six older brothers, all of whom had very different voices and opinions than mine. Even though I felt different from everyone else, there was always one person I felt connected to, my grandmother. Throughout all the years I was growing up and going through changes, I always seemed to be filled with encouraging words of wisdom from my grandmother, and more importantly, she was very accepting of the paths I chose to follow despite them being different from the my family's paths. In the book The Norton Mix, which is an anthology of different texts, many aspects of identity are explored. The selection that I think most resonates with me in this book is Virginia Woolf's “Professions for Women,” a 1931 speech on Woolf's work as a writer. Another text that I believe presents many characters with different aspects of identity is the novel Hairstyles of the Damned, by Joe Meno; the novel is about a teenager searching for his own identity. After analyzing both texts and carefully listening to my grandmother's advice, I concluded that everyone must understand that no two identities are the same and that individuals should follow their dreams no matter what... middle of paper... .I have been through some of the hardest changes and adjustments I thought could ever happen to me. Even though I have other challenges awaiting me on my path to graduation, I still maintain my identity and have a positive attitude. I continue to give everyone a chance and never find myself judging because someone is different than me. These aspects of identity have shaped who I am today and will make me a wonderful nurse. By examining Virginia Woolf's speech, Mrs. Aiken's understanding, and my grandmother's kind words, you can clearly see why my aspects of my identity include, but are not limited to, always following my dreams, no matter what! Works Cited Meno, Joe. Hairstyles of the damned. New York: Punk Planet-Akashic, 2004. Print.Woolf, Virginia. “Professions for women”. The Norton mix. Ed. Beth Johnson. New York: Norton, 2011. 203-210. Press.