Who Are You? Part 1: Why Your Self-Discovery is So Important
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Judy Mosley
Who are you really? No, not what do you do. Who are you? What do you like? What are your thoughts? What makes you tick? What makes you happy? What makes you cry? What are the things that point to who you are as a person?
It’s not about whether or not you’re married, have children, have a big bank account or sing in the choir. Those are things that you do. They are roles that you play. They don’t define who you are.
For many people, it can appear as if they were born knowing who they were. They seem comfortable in their own skin, make decisions without stressing, and make friends without compromising their own space. Even if they didn’t have the encouragement at home or with their peers, they still seem to shine when they are themselves.
For others, it seems to take a lot more work. Perhaps there was pressure at home to be someone else. Who they really were wasn’t accepted or appreciated. Maybe their peers belittled them so much that they chose to go along, choosing acceptance rather than being who they really were. Others may have believed that they just needed to please those around them. Who they were wasn’t really important anyway. The important thing was to be loved. So they would change themselves just to obtain that acceptance from others.
Whatever the reason, it’s important that we find out who we really are and what makes us tick on the inside.
When we discover our true selves, we become more at ease. We aren’t worried about what others will think and the tension and pressure that we may have felt for years will slowly melt away. When we live from the heart, we can live with freedom, instead of trying to fit into false ideas of who we have been told we should be.
We will also be able to live out our lives in ways that really make a difference. When we start living as we were created to live, we can make decisions about what’s really important, no matter what those around us might be doing. We will feel more whole and we will be able to give to those around us without feeling short-changed or run over in the process.
There are reasons why you do what you do and we will go further into that in the next article. But, for now, let’s just explore some things that you will need for this journey.
1. An Open Mind
This is exciting, and for many of you, frightening because you aren’t sure what you will find. I can assure you that you will be bringing up memories, places, or events that really changed how you felt about yourself. Keep in mind that this is about you becoming a healthy human being, not about stuffing things away to avoid them for the rest of your life. Be brave and be ready to discover some beautiful things about who you are and how you think about the world.
2. A Journal and Pen
This is one tool that you will be carrying with you wherever you go. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A simple notebook will do. Just make sure that it’s personal and private. Everyone around you should understand that they are not to read it and will give you that respect without any ridicule. You are a person and you have the right to this one private place. You are welcome to share it but no one should read it without your permission.
In your journal, you will capture all the things that you really like, things that catch your eye, or stir something deep inside of you. This is also where you will reflect on memories that might come up, even if they are unpleasant. It’s important to walk through these so that you can see what is really you and what’s been placed on you instead. This is a place of freedom so write down everything that happens inside of you. Even if it sounds silly. Notice I said, what happens on the inside of you, not just what happens to you. Be reflective and notice how what happens around you affects the inside of your mind, heart, and soul.
3. A Camera
Again, this is not something that will put you deep into debt. A basic throwaway camera will suffice. And you don’t have to have any skills regarding photography. This is to capture things that move you or make you think, that you may not be able to merely describe with words. Carry this with you and as you take pictures and develop the photos, paste them in your journal so that they you can describe why this object or event brought out something inside of you. Write down what you like about it, or even what you don’t.
Knowing who you are is so important. The world needs who you are. The people around you need who you are and not what someone else thinks you should be. Take this opportunity and give yourself the space to become wholly you.
I promise that it will be well worth it!
Next: Part Two - Who Are You? Simple Ways to Discovering Yourself.
-Marcel Proust
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Jana
January 13th, 2009 at 7:55 am #
I’m looking forward to the part 2 of this post. For me, this seems like the kind of work that would be of benefit more than the same tired list of New Years resolutions that are usually broken by the end of the month. Thanks!
Jenny
January 13th, 2009 at 7:58 am #
I would recommend that, with the journaling, a great exercise is to keep track of your dreams. Write them down the first thing when you wake up, and put in as much detail as possible so you can come back and look at them later. We tend to forget our dreams as we go about our day, and this is a good way to remember and revisit them.
Pam
January 13th, 2009 at 8:00 am #
Unfortunately, I think that too many people (myself included) get all wrapped up in what others think about us or making our self-worth about our job or bank account (or whatever). I am looking forwatd to this series of articles!