Discover Who You Really Are

The historical connotations that accompany the phrase “finding yourself” include wandering hippies and drug use.  Finding out who you are does not have to involve travel or illegal substances, but it is an important step on your life journey.  Knowing who you are is a key component to knowing where you want to go and the best way to get there.  If you don’t know who you are, you will just wander without purpose.  You might be busy all the time, but you won’t feel accomplished.

Here is a quick (notice I didn’t say easy) exercise you can do that will help you find out who you are.  The first step is to get out a piece of paper or open a blank document on your computer, whichever you are more comfortable with. Next, make a list of all your attributes and things that define you.  Don’t just stop at 20, get a list of around 100-200 things.  Your list should include accomplishments, failures, strengths, weaknesses, personality traits, interests, hopes, past, future, etc.  Everything that describes you and your identity.  It might take a while, but don’t give up, keep writing.  And don’t just write down the positive, you aren’t applying for a job.  Write down everything, positive and negative.  Just because there are aspects of your person that you consider negative doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Which brings us to the final step.  Now that everything is out there, own who you are.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  By claiming all of it, you can begin the process of changing the parts you don’t like, and accentuating the parts you do like.  Begin the process of taking all that you are and turning it in to the best you that you can possibly be.

By taking stock and determining who you really are, you give your life direction.  You now have the ability to live your life with purpose.  You know who you are and who you want to be.  With clear directions on things you want to improve, you can start creating the life you really want.