Uncommon Path Network

Dear Path Finder,

I pray you find your purposeful path, walk audaciously in it, and inspire others to find theirs too.

Before we begin chasing the life of impact, purpose, or clarity, we must pause and ask ourselves something foundational: Do I truly know who I am?

Because everything flows from that place.

Your identity is more than a name or a profession, it’s your compass. When that compass is unclear, life becomes noisy and confusing. We start building on shifting ground: people’s opinions, our own insecurities, or the weight of our failures. But when that compass is grounded in something steady, in Someone unchanging — we walk differently. We show up differently.

On 12 May 2025, I decided to begin the 75 days Hard Challenge. I didn’t finish it  and yet, strangely, I don’t consider it a failure.

The goal wasn’t to prove that I could stick to something for 75 days straight. For me, it was about cultivating habits that would support the life I feel called to live. I long to be present and disciplined, to create space for devotion, for work that matters, for clarity of thought. I’ve come to realise that my mornings are sacred; when they’re rushed, everything else begins to unravel.

But partway through the challenge, I sensed a shift , the Lord was calling me into a time of deep prayer and fasting. These seasons are quiet, weighty, and physically stretching. And in that space, I couldn’t keep up with the external demands of the challenge. My body and spirit needed something different.

And I chose to respond to Him.

This is where knowing who you are makes all the difference.

If I didn’t have an identity rooted in Christ, I would’ve felt shame. I would have labeled myself a failure. I might’ve pushed through just to prove something to others, or even to myself. But because I know that God’s voice comes first in my life, it was clear: this wasn’t a failure. This was alignment.

I’ve had to learn that I am not what I achieve. I am not my consistency, or my completion rate. I am a child of God first and His voice gently anchors me.

Without that grounding, I think we begin to drift. We chase trends that leave us feeling empty. We compare ourselves and feel behind. We become defined by our mistakes, or by the praise and approval of people. And slowly, our true selves fade behind layers of striving.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

When we return to the One who created us, we’re reminded of what never changes: He is faithful. He is steady. And He still calls us His own.

Scripture reminds us, “For I, the Lord, do not change.” And again, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

That’s the safest place to build a sense of self. Not on shifting circumstances, but on the unchanging character of God.

Your identity isn’t just about who you are,  it’s about what you carry into the world. It guides your values. It influences how you love. It defines what you say yes to and what you walk away from.

So let me gently ask you:

Who are you becoming?
And are you building that identity on the voice of the world, or the truth of the One who created you?

There’s no rush.
But there is a beautiful invitation.
And it starts with being still enough to listen.

Shalom,
Oyena