a significant amount of identity elements available to us – what might comprise our [[{1.1} identity as self-definition|{1.1} self-definition]] – is determined by the unique time and space we occupy and what shared reference points exist between us and others. stability, especially in one’s identity, requires that one stay connected to their location in, and personal history of, time and space. the physical. embodied experience. >[!note]- [[2025-04-24]] >feel like i lost the plot a little bit here; this list should be in another note, etc. #cleanMe >see [[healing is reorientation to time and space]] “context” is our tether to this unique coordinate. i use the word “context” to mean many different things interchangeably, but here i’m referring to a very nebulous assortment of your life’s physical and digital – even mental – data: - artifacts like files, notes, journals - ephemera like books, quotes, gifs - connections to people, places, communities - events like appointments, gatherings, catch-ups - landmarks like achievements, milestones, major life events and transitions - keepsakes like letters, photos, mementos - resources like assets, templates, training and education - “open loops” like routines, projects, pursuits - administrative data like accounts, credentials, records - your output, whatever that looks like - archives of the above and more although i could actually keep going, i don’t mean *all of your data that has ever existed*, but the things you might intentionally – perhaps meticulously – curate, manage, and preserve over time. this ““data management”” (see [[2025-01-28 the limitations of 'pkm' language]]), whereby a record of one’s context is maintained over time (though not necessarily in its entirety or over all time) allows us to *reorient* ourselves back toward our location in time and space and reestablishes [[{1.1c} a strong sense of identity requires a sense of continuity|{1.1a} 🌲 continuity]]. [[integration is facilitated by dialoguing with our past, present, and future selves]], and the ability to immerse yourself in accumulated context aids in that dialogue. all of that is helpful in healing after experiences of [[{1.1c2a} shock disrupts the continuity of one's identity and their understanding of their inner and outer worlds|{1.1a1b} shock]] – and we might think of healing as that reestablishment of a cohesive narrative which allows us to reorient from a preoccupation of our past to our material reality. it’s also helpful for other kinds of recovery: from burnout, depressive episodes, information overload. you can revisit different coordinates of your life, identify patterns, empty the cache of your brain – all of this is included in the contextual management i’m describing… however, stability and connection – that is, one’s ability to stay tethered to time and space in general – is largely a practice of being present. ““data management”” can be meticulous and time-consuming; this isn’t inherently bad – one’s data and the tools we have to interact with it can feel a bit like a sandbox to play in – but there is an equilibrium one has to find between building the cushion of context and being fully immersed in the omnipresent stream of context flowing in, through, and around you all of the time. stability / sturdiness / groundedness all come from understanding where you are and how you got here; healing / recovering / alleviating is how you get back to that once you’ve lost it. perhaps healing might be thought of as [[{1.1c1} a sense of continuity comes from the integration of experiences, evolving senses-of-self, and identity elements over time|{1.1a1} integration]]. >[!trailhead]- trails >`⬆️`[[{1.1c1} a sense of continuity comes from the integration of experiences, evolving senses-of-self, and identity elements over time]] > >⬅️ [[{1.1c2a} shock disrupts the continuity of one's identity and their understanding of their inner and outer worlds]] >➡️ [[{1.1c3} identity crises happen when you are not situated in the context of - or oriented toward - your past, present, or future|{1.2a1a1} identity crises happen when you are isolated from your past, present, or future]] > >⬇️ [[🌲 life data as an identity graph with time as an axis]]