Who am I? It’s only the most common question in the world, no matter what language you speak or the way you look. Just about everyone wants to know the answer to that 3 worded question—who am I?
If someone came up to you and asked that question, would you be able to answer them? Would you be able to look them in the eye and tell them exactly who you are?
We don’t always actively seek the answer to that question. Sometimes, we stumble upon the answer when we look at our behaviors, our reactions, our likes and our dislikes. And when we begin to find ourselves, it’s like breaking free from a cage we don’t even know we’re in.
Listed below are a few ways we can begin the process of self-discovery.
- Ask Questions About Yourself
Have you ever seen a child who was so loving and playful, but then as they get older, they’re cold and bitter? Something happened between the time they were a child till now that made them that way.
As a young girl, there are traits and behaviors I can remember about myself that I still see in myself to this day. For example, I’ve always loved to write. Even when I ask my dad about who I was as a child, some of the things he shares with me are some of the same things I recognize in myself today. But also, some of the traits he tells me are things that I realize I’ve lost.
If you analyze your younger self with the person you are now, you may see some changes. You may have lost that openness you once had as a child, or your confidence, or bravery, or maybe even that lying habit you may have had. You may also see behaviors that have been with you since you were born, behaviors you’ve picked up, and behaviors you’ve lost. Asking those questions will help you to gain a better understanding of yourself and an understanding of why you act a certain way, or why you respond to situations in a certain way.
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Let Go of the Past
One of the worst things we do to ourselves is hold on to things we’ve done and let other people define us by it. It’s time to let all that go! You know what that is? Dead weight. It’s just holding us back from getting to where we need to go. Who we are isn’t buried in the wrongs we’ve done; it’s buried under it. Decide to let it go and move on. If you decide to see yourself in the shadows of the wrong you’ve done, you’ll never think you deserve to step into the light.
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Stop with the Comparison
Okay, this has got to be one of the most draining activities ever – constantly comparing ourselves to other people. And you know what? We find the smallest things about ourselves to compare. We compare our eyelashes to other people, our nails, this thing, that thing, everything.
Part of the joy of finding out who you are is realizing how utterly unique and incomparable you are. There’s nobody out there like you, and there certainly won’t ever be anyone like you again. Ever. Take a second to let that settle in. I’ll wait.
So, if that’s true, that means you’re a special edition. We spend so much time marvelling at other people when we really should be marvelling at ourselves. Tweet that.
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Accept What You Find
When going on a journey, sometimes you hit roadblocks, go over bumps in the road… It’s definitely not always a smooth ride. It’s the same with finding yourself. You’re not always going to find the beautiful things about yourself. You’re also bound to run into the ugly. When you do, don’t fight it so much, and don’t allow yourself to be in denial. Accept what’s there and know that it doesn’t define you. All you have to do is work on it, which leads us to our last point…
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Self Improvement
This point is vital. Have you ever heard that saying that the biggest room is the room for improvement? It’s so true. We have so many places and areas in our lives that we can improve on, and the only thing that you really have control over is yourself. If we want to see an improvement in our lives, in our environment, and in our relationships, it has to start with self. So take the time to work on whatever it is that you find that isn’t as spick and span as the rest of you. You’ll be doing yourself a huge favor.
