How To Get To Know Yourself Better
I know what you’re thinking. ‘Tera, I didn’t get to my age without knowing myself! So how can I get to know myself better?’
But do you really know yourself, or do you know the version of yourself that you have been displaying to the world for the last 40-50 years?
We all wear a mask at times, and over time you can easily start to believe that the mask you show others is the real you. When you reach midlife, it’s normal to start contemplating what you want from this next stage of your life.
While you're getting to know yourself, questions you may start to ask yourself might include:
What do I want to do for the next 10 years?
Where do I want to live?
Who will be living there with me?
Getting to know yourself will help you to make better decisions, experience less inner conflict and feel greater contentment. You’ll find it easier to say ‘yes’ to the things that you really want to do, and to resist social pressure when you don’t want to do something.
And knowing yourself better will help you to understand your purpose in life, so you can make a bigger impact on the world. If you want to, of course!
How to get to know yourself
Here are some steps that will help you get to know about yourself, and learn what you really want from life…
Listen to yourself
The first step is to take time to be still and listen to your inner voice. Many people find this difficult because silence can be uncomfortable. But until you can be quiet and sit with yourself, you can’t be completely truthful with yourself.
Listen to others
Listening to yourself is the most important step in truly knowing yourself but if you’re feeling stuck, listening to others can help. Ask loved ones and close friends what they think your strengths and weaknesses are, and their responses will show you some areas that you can work on.
But - this bit is important - make sure that you don’t put their opinions above your own thoughts and feelings.
Discover who you really are
It can be hard to admit this to yourself, but who you would like to be isn’t always who you were meant to be. Acknowledging your authentic self and accepting this as your own truth is how you will find your real place in the world.
Uncover your talents
Finding out where your talents lie can take time, and you may want to give up along the way. But it’s worth persisting until you discover what you’re good at, so don’t give up too soon. The other side of the coin is that along the way you’ll find out what you're not so good at, and that can be a more painful process.
Unlock your passions
Finding your passion and purpose in life is a very good thing. This could be passion for your work, for a favourite pastime or maybe a passion for helping people in a specific way. Once you’ve found your passion in life, you will understand yourself better and will understand what impact your life can have on the world.
This process can be uncomfortable at times, and you’ll need to confront your fears. But getting to know yourself in this way will help you to discover a purpose that is greater than your fears. And you’ll find an inner peace that brings you contentment and success in your goals.
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