When asked the question “who are you?” most of us don’t know how to respond. We will begin by answering with what we do, what our hobbies are, or describing some of our personality traits. It a simple question yet has such an intricate web of possible answers.
Discovering who you really are comes with time, experience, exploration and knowledge. It is not a discovery that comes about overnight, rather, it takes a lifetime. A lifetime of opinions (which you can change), a lifetime of relationships and a lifetime of lessons. All these individual experiences add up to help you become the person you are today.
It is normal to go through periods where we feel out of touch with ourselves, lost, confused and unsure of which path to take. These 3 ways of discovering your true self can help you unclutter your mind to get to the core of who you used to be, who you currently are, and gain perspective on who you want to become (or at least help you get back on track).
Journal Regularly
Being consistent with anything is difficult at first. Journaling can take some getting used to, especially for those who don’t like writing (in which case recording your thoughts with audio is also an option).
Journaling helps to empty your mind’s baggage onto paper. It can be an incredibly therapeutic way to see your anxieties, losses and thoughts on paper, where visually you can see everything that has been ruminating in your mind. Journalling in the midst of intense emotion and reading it a day or two later with a calm heart will allow you to gain valuable insight and help you shift your perspective positively.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
We hear it all the time: “get out of your comfort zone, do things that scare you.” Although uncomfortable, it can help us learn so much about ourselves. Who says you have to leap outside? Sometimes just one small step outside of the boundaries of your comfort zone can be enough.
Join that book club you have been thinking about joining, attend a yoga class alone or with a friend, and speak to that handsome stranger you made eye contact with across the room.
What Makes You Genuinely Happy?
Ask yourself this question, and really think about the things you truly love doing. Consider what you loved doing as a child, and the innocent dreams and aspirations you had. As we become adults, there comes a point when a slow dimmer switch darkens the magic of our childhood dreams as time passes, imagination weakens and our dreams become filtered by reality and adulthood.
Even if your dreams have changed as you have grown up, think about what makes you feel alive and do more of that. Focus your energy on incorporating more of it into your life.
A Vancouver life coach can help you focus your energy in the right places and cultivate a deeper understanding of the complexities that make you, you – a process that isn’t always easy navigating on your own. Get in touch if you would like to learn more about how I work and schedule an appointment.
