THE JOURNEY TO SELF DISCOVERY

It’s natural, over the course of your lifetime, to get to a point when you question who you really are. The path to finding these answers is known as Self Discovery. Self Discovery can be seen as the process of understanding your thoughts, feelings, values and background and how they impact your life. It is also recognizing your own biases by tracing them to their roots, through reflection and then purposely looking for a positive way forward.

Discovering that you have no clear vision of who you are, or that you’ve lost the connection to yourself that seemed so certain, can be frightening. The idea of recreating your identity can seem overpowering and hectic. However, this is actually a time to celebrate who you really are. The process of reclaiming your identity is an adventure and a journey that will create not only an upgraded version of you, but also a life that is absolutely more satisfying than you ever imagined.

Basically, when you understand that your psyche contains a lot of thought patterns that are not really yours, but rather were fed superficially by external influences or formed through some misguided understanding. You begin to appreciate that you may be living a very disconnected life by following these conditioned patterns blindly. Several beliefs we hold about ourselves get seeded in our psyche, and take roots because we don’t query them.

So here are some of the steps that I believe will help you need to follow on the journey to self discovery. They are not by any means exhausted but are the basic steps to get you sorted out real good.

1. Discover your unique purpose
Appreciate the uniqueness of your purpose in life and muster enough courage to move away from your comfort zone. It is very important to discover for yourself what you want out of your life and work towards it. Having a purpose that connects to your real self can be fulfilling. Without that purpose and a sense of direction, you are going to always hit a dead end.

2. Possess the courage to be honest 
It takes serious self exploration and the ability to be honest for you to discover yourself. Honesty and Self-acceptance gives you the chance to reveal the truth and live your life with honor. Living in a life of integrity will not allow you to short-change yourself by staying with the status quo. There is nothing more liberating than the truth, and you will discover that the more you simply go with your truth the more satisfying your life becomes. If you don’t have the courage to be honest, you may never know who you really are.

3. Identify What You Love
You are more true to yourself when you are in a state of love. Think back over your life, from the time you were a child until today: What people, things or activities have inspired deep love in you and pursue them.

4. Embrace Your Inner Fears 
Justifiably, a critical evaluation of your life can be a daunting venture. Consequently, to discover yourself you have to be willing to be fearless of what you find out, and how these discoveries will transform your life. Nevertheless, you will be the better for it because knowing about yourself more is certainly rewarding. Never be scared of the real you.

5. Create More Alone Time 
If you want to know someone, all you have to do is to spend more time with the person. In the same vein, if you want to build a relationship with yourself, you have to create more time to get to know more about yourself. You cannot know yourself well, if you are always distracted and having lots of things to do. Harnessing your inner self requires time and space. It is very imperative to meditate on a regular basis. Meditation helps you to purge your mind and concentrate on your life. Thus clarifying the direction you need to follow.

6. Find Inspiration from Things around You
Being with Nature is an excellent medium of self discovery. You tend to connect better with your inner self, when you are calmer. The answers that you inquire about yourself surface more easily while in a state of mental respite.

7. Discover What Brings You Bliss
You are your most true self in an atmosphere of happiness. What makes you laugh, smile or feel excited is pure impulse and comes from a deeper part of your being. When you look back at your life, identify the activities, people, or places that have evoked an enormous sense of bliss in you and always find a way of connecting to them.

8. Be Ready To Accept Change
You have to dare to dream big dreams and take huge steps forward. You don't need to be perfect and there's no such thing as a mistake when you are in a journey of self discovery. Whatever you discover is for your greater good and a learning opportunity.

9. Always Listen To Your Inner Self
You have to develop the act of listening to what is going on inside of you. That includes your thoughts, feelings, recollections, and aspirations. The effect of this delicate form of listening is that it opens you up to what is not conscious and brings it into your consciousness. This allows you to realize who you are at that moment, and in turn, allows you to live a more fulfilling life because you can now make conscious choices based upon who you really are.

10. Surround Yourself With People Who Understand Your Purpose 
Seek the assistance of people you trust to support you in your journey to self-discovery and let them know what role they can play in the process. You need to connect with people that want to see you improve in life according to your needs and not their vision.

Finally, the journey to self discovery is by no way an easy ride. In fact, it can take a lifetime of building a relationship with you to achieve. Also, your inner Self is not going to remain the same way throughout the process. Like every being, you are always transforming. Based on your discovery, at any point in time, you can make conscious adjustments to accommodate these changes. A clear self understanding results in renewed self-assurance, confidence and power. The more you know yourself, the more satisfying your life will be.