How To Find Your True Self (Part 1)
”To find yourself, think for yourself” SOCRATES
Majority of us have been living under a case of mistaken identity. Our very existence, everything we see, hear and experience, have all been fabricated by society and keeps us ignorant of who we really are. Our image as humans is made in the image and likeness of our history, culture and sadly our environment as well.
The question that arises as we journey towards self-discovery is, ‘WHO AM I?’ We often ask ourselves this question, however most of the time we have no answer to it, as we are not yet in tune with our real selves. Thus we adapt and conform to our current situation and environment.
True nature
A great challenge many of us face is accepting our true nature. Often, we prefer to seek validation, people’s acceptance and what they think of us. This form of reasoning has been embedded in us since we were young and unable to realize the conditioning that was going on. Whenever we are told to be our real self and not conform to what society thinks of us, an internal struggle begins within. The struggle between the need to be liked and accepted by others or to be our true self.
Carl Jung wrote extensively on the process of individualization which is the layered process of finding one’s true and authentic self. Individualization is also said to be the recognition and acknowledgment of your personality and integrate it not only with ourselves but also the society at large.
Already inside of you
Once we are connected and have accepted our true self, we become conscious of our place and vocation in life. The truth is, everything we need to attain self-fulfillment has already been placed inside of us and as such, when we are more in tune with our true self as well as the qualities, all our needs and achievements will merge and align with little or no effort.
The journey towards self-discovery is a long and tedious one. Some discover early on, while others later in life, that the journey towards discovering oneself is not easy and is filled with challenges. How can we live a life filled with purpose as well as achieve wholeness with the challenges that lies before us?
As adults, we have a more challenging path towards self-discovery than children. Children are carefree and move with the tide because they are afforded ample time, whereas an adult faces challenges and pressures from the following aspects;
Education
Society
Marital
We believe that as we journey through the different stages in life, we are shaped into the very individual that we ought to become. This is far from the truth as the very best of us lose ourselves to the challenges and pressures of life. When the demands of life get to us, it is then that we lash out and have the occasional burst of anger that arises from unfulfillment, unhappiness and in most cases depression. Only by realizing negatives and turning them into positives are we able to retrace our steps and find our path on the journey towards self-discovery. These simple steps must be followed before one can listen to his inner being and thus find our true self.
Acknowledge your limitations
Growing up, most of us engaged in activities that we never derived fulfillment from. Mostly because our parents decided what activities that we were to engage in. Some of us would have preferred being on the school football team while growing up but were pushed into the literary or drama society. Retrospection is required where we think of the past and look for the activities that give us pleasure. For when this is done, only can it be said that we are on the path to discovering ourselves.
Be Open Minded
Engaging in a myriad of activities instead of streamlining ourselves to a particular field or activity, makes it easier for us to discover ourselves. Our options are not limited, but instead, they are from a large pool which we can choose from and thus discover hidden talents which were non-existent when others called the shots in our lives.
To find our true self, we must quiet the noise and unpeel the layers one by one to start to rediscover who we are… This is, the greatest challenge of all.
Don’t wait another day, start making that dream come true! Embark on this quest with a coaching program and plan to start truly living, TODAY!
www.todaydreams.live
Steeve Gilmore
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