During my internship in clinical psychology, a psychologist asked a group of us trainees to complete that sentence.

I wrote down the first thing that came into my head: I am a softball player.

The psychologist was surprised at my response; she expected us all to say something relating to our work as interns.

But I had been playing on a psychiatry/psychology intramural softball team. I was our pitcher, I was having a great year batting, and our team was doing well.

I might have said instead that I was a psychology intern or a human, but I didn’t.

Even now, decades later, when I have exciting wish-fulfillment dreams, they usually involve me dominating play in some sport.

If I completed the sentence today, I would be torn between the following two responses: “I am a fortunate person” and “I am (full stop).”

I often think about how fortunate I have been in my life with regard to work, fun, and relationships. My favourite song right now is Joe Walsh’s Life’s Been Good to Me So Far).

On the other hand, my very existence is a gigantic story to me. I am amazed to be alive. The universe existed for 13.8 billion years before I entered the scene, and now I am here, doing and experiencing this and that.

My “I am (full stop)” response makes me think of Neil Diamond’s song I am…I Said. “And I am lost and I can't even say why, ‘I am’... I said, ‘I am’... I cried, ‘I am’,” the song says.

Coming in next for me would be: I am free.

I say that because I am very happy to live and work somewhere with many opportunities relevant to me and a wide variety of human rights.

Coming in after those responses, I might say that I am a scientist, a healer, and an educator. If I were feeling high on myself, I might say that I am a writer.

These characteristics all relate to work.

Studies show that most people, when asked to describe themselves, state their occupation. Work is central to their identity.

But some individuals instead describe themselves as believers in a certain religion (“I am Muslim”) or members of a specific nationality (“I am Russian”).

One of my friends finished the sentence by saying that she is a human.

Some people give their sex or their age group. I would like to say honestly: I am young. I never appreciated youth when I had it.

Rare is the person who says: “I am a mammal.”

If there are individuals who finish the sentence by saying that they are invincible or immortal, I would like to meet them.

You can tell something about what is important to you by the words you use to finish the sentence.

From Life’s Been Good, by Joe Walsh