A big part of getting your life right has to do with knowing yourself.
And that can be a challenging endeavor.
It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for Mr. Right, want to create a life style that takes your breath away, or find out what lights your fire – the first step in having it all is understanding what truly makes you tick.
Yet, if you are like most people, you are probably a bit unsure about your fabulous, wonderful self. In a world that rewards us for fitting in and playing games it’s easy to forget our true nature. Maybe you got punished for being your rambunctious self as a kid and thought that working hard and not having as much fun would get you what you wanted. However, often it doesn’t and while you are trying to be someone you are not, you forget what it feels like to be unabashedly alive.
What can you do to find your true self again? Just as you got tricked into believing that you are someone you are not, you can surprise yourself into finding out who you really are. Below are a few fun ways to leave the beaten path and do things that are unfamiliar to you.
Be a Rebel For One Day: Don’t you love the idea of reinventing yourself? To slip into a character that’s totally unfamiliar to your normal self? Now is the time. For one day, change who you are. Put on a wild outfit, slick back your hair and act as your favorite rebel persona. You can model after someone from a movie or TV-Show or you can make up a completely new character. How would that person act? Walk? Talk? If you really want to get into it, design your role and play it just as an actor would play a character in a movie.
Make a List of Who You Think You Are Not: Look beyond the person you think you are. On a piece of paper list all the qualities you don’t think you possess. Once finished, look over your list. Which of the qualities turn you off, and which ones light you up? Look at the ones that inspire you and realize how they are a part of you.
One of my clients was convinced that she was extremely shy and that she didn’t have it in her to speak in front of others. However, every time she mentioned public speaking she started to glow. Once she realized how much she wanted to be front and center, she started to take small steps towards it. To her surprise, not only did she love being on stage, she was also really good at it.
Pay Attention to What Stirs You: Sometimes you can find yourself in paying attention to others. Observe yourself. Do you admire certain people? Do you get aggravated when you hear others speak about their successes, life stories, or changes they’ve made? Noticing your reaction to people, events, or stories can help you in discovering your hidden desires. If you find yourself getting jealous over your girlfriend getting married or your sister starting her own business, chances are that this is something you want for yourself.
Finally, Ask Yourself a Few Daring Questions:
- If you had all the resources in the world, if you didn’t need to make money, what would you do with your life and why?
- What do you want to look back on at the end of your life and say that you never regretted? Would you regret never having lived abroad, or by the ocean? Would you regret not having had a family?
- If you had to choose three words to describe the person you’d love to be, what words would you pick?
Enjoy the process and keep reinventing yourself. Life isn’t static and asking yourself who you want to be and who you actually are is a wonderful way of keeping it fresh and alive.
In the comment section below tell us
- What character you’d like to play for one day?
- The three words that describe who you are as a person.
As always, thanks for reading!
Karin
Photo Source: Slightly Everything via Flickr under a Creative Commons License
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For one day I’d like to be “Triumph” the insult comic dog. I am patient, responsible, and compassionate.
That would be so much fun! You can start with practicing your accent