Your identity goes far beyond your name and appearance. It involves your values, beliefs, and character. Really, your identity is everything that makes you, you​—both inside and out.

When you have a strong sense of identity, you stand up for your beliefs instead of allowing your peers to control you.

“A lot of people are like the mannequins you see in a store display. They don’t choose the clothes they wear; others do.”​—Adrian.

“I’ve learned how to stand up for what is right even when it’s hard. I can tell who my real friends are by how they act and by how I act around them.”​—Courtney.

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over.”​—Romans 12:2.

Develop a sense of who you are now and who you want to become by analyzing your strengths, your weaknesses, and your convictions. A good way to start is to answer the following questions.

Strengths: What talents and skills do I have? What are my strong points? (For example: Am I punctual? self-controlled? hardworking? generous?) What positive things do I do?

TIP: Are you having trouble identifying positive things about yourself? Ask a parent or a trusted friend what strengths he or she sees in you and why.

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Let each one examine his own actions, and then he will have cause for rejoicing in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person.”​—Galatians 6:4.

Weaknesses: What aspects of my personality need the most work? When am I especially susceptible to temptation? In what areas could I exercise greater self-control?

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “If we make the statement, ‘We have no sin,’ we are misleading ourselves.”​—1 John 1:8.

Convictions: What moral code do I follow, and why? Do I believe in God? What evidence has convinced me of his existence? What actions do I consider to be unjust, and why? What convictions do I hold about the future?

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Thinking ability will keep watch over you, and discernment will safeguard you.”​—Proverbs 2:11.