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Have you ever felt like you’re living someone else’s life? Like the person everyone knows at work, at home, or in your community, isn’t really you? That subtle shift, where your identity starts to drift under the weight of roles and responsibilities, is more common than we realize, and it can quietly steal your sense of self.

Welcome to The Rise Experience Podcast. I’m Shannon Denniston. This is a place to pause, reflect, and tend to the inner life that shapes how we lead. Leading well starts with knowing yourself, understanding your faith, your values, and your purpose. Each episode shares insights and practices that have helped me stay grounded and lead with integrity, courage, and compassion.

Episode Highlights

This episode explores identity drift, the subtle shift in how a person sees themselves when roles and responsibilities start defining them more than their true identity. It explains why this happens, including the impact of stress and chronic responsibility, and how it affects both the mind and spirit. Listeners are introduced to the RISE framework — Reset, Implement, Strengthen, Elevate as a practical guide to reclaiming authenticity through simple habits, meaningful community, and intentional reflection.

Episode Outline

• What identity drift is and how it begins in competence, where your reliability can overshadow your true self.
• The psychological and spiritual effects of drifting from your authentic identity.
• Signs that your identity is being defined by roles rather than your true self.
• The RISE framework:
  Reset: Take time to pause and reconnect with your core identity.
  Implement: Apply simple, sustainable habits that reinforce your authentic self.
  Strengthen: Seek community and accountability to support your growth.
  Elevate: Lead with clarity and purpose from a place of true self-awareness.
• Practical habits to reclaim identity, such as brief moments of stillness, intentional walks, and speaking your truths aloud.
• Reflective questions to uncover the gap between your current roles and your authentic calling.
  

Action Taken

• Ask yourself: “What role have I accidentally started using as my identity?” and “Who was I before that role?”
• Implement small, sustainable habits like:
• 60 seconds of stillness
  A 10-minute walk without distractions
  Speaking identity truths out loud
• Seek community and accountability to support identity restoration—identity heals faster in connection than isolation.
• Reflect on questions like:
  “Where have I drifted from who God called me to be, and who have I become known as instead?”
  “What’s one small shift that would pull me back towards myself this week?"

Episode Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:07 Identity Drift: Understanding the Concept

06:01 The Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Identity Drift

08:48 Practical Examples of Identity Drift

11:35 The Rise Framework for Overcoming Identity Drift

17:12 Elevating into Leadership and Legacy

Conclusion

Identity drift doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not a personal failure, it’s a natural response to the demands of life. But it’s also reversible. By paying attention, slowing down, and leaning into practices that nurture your authentic self, you can reclaim your identity and lead with clarity, courage, and purpose.

CTA

If this episode resonated, I encourage you to pick one habit or reflection question from today’s discussion and put it into practice this week. Small steps create real change.