Speaker
Description
What happens when everything you thought you knew about yourself dissolves at once? When your body, culture, relationships, and work all shift simultaneously, familiar roles vanish and uncharted selves begin to emerge. This 50-minute interactive workshop invites participants to explore identity "extinction" — those liminal moments when who we were no longer fits who we're becoming. Drawing on Christine Rosen's extinction of experience, Jack Mezirow's transformative learning theory, feminist philosophy (de Beauvoir, Kristeva), and cross-cultural research on aging and embodiment (Lock), we'll examine how midlife transitions, migration, and shifting professional roles intersect and compound. We'll explore Dr. Eliza Filby's framing of Gen X as "ageing disruptors" and Lisa Bilyeu's radical confidence, reframing profound change as generative force rather than devastating loss. For educators navigating cross-cultural contexts, these identity shifts are particularly acute — teaching across languages and cultures while simultaneously reconstructing personal and professional selves. Through guided reflection, small-group dialogue, and collaborative "field note" creation, participants will identify personal patterns of identity extinction and emergence, develop vocabulary for experiences that often lack cultural or academic language, and experiment with radical self-care frameworks designed for complex, overlapping transitions. Using adapted well-being and emotional intelligence tools (Six Seconds EQ, PERMA-V), we'll create practical, field-tested resources for supporting your next becoming. Lived experience is the primary expertise. This session speaks to anyone living between cultures, careers, or identities. Come prepared to share, reflect, and leave with concrete tools for navigating the beautiful complexity of becoming.