7 Ways To Start Your Journey Towards Self-Discovery
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
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Once you’ve reached a certain age, you’ve probably stopped and wondered what exactly it is that you want from your life. Maybe you have decided that you want to take the first step in your journey towards self-discovery, but you are unsure where you should even start. Your dreams, personal values, personality traits, and even the talents you’ve honed might not mean much to you if you do not know who you really are as a person. Being aware of these characteristics, however, can give you a deep insight into your inner-self. Life isn’t just about going through the motions and repeating the same things over and over. If you have reached a point in your life where you find yourself looking into the mirror and wondering who you are, then maybe some self-discovery will help answer that question. Here are seven ways that you can start with your journey towards self-discovery:
1. Visualize Your Ideal Self
Maybe you feel like you have floated through life quite smoothly and followed the various guidelines set into place by teachers, parents, and adults around you. If this is the case, you have probably not given much thought to your true self. Many of us end up defining ourselves by the relationships we share with other people. You’ve never possibly considered the idea of doing things differently, and without a clear view of the things that matter to you as a person, you may find yourself aimless. Picturing yourself by trying to reflect on your inner thoughts and envisioning yourself as the person who you are without the weight of the world on your shoulders is one way to visualize yourself.
2. Explore Your True Passions
Our passions help give meaning to our lives and often help us discover our life’s purpose so that we can make it meaningful and rich. Maybe your passion lies in helping others, and it has guided you through the field of medicine, but you feel more jaded now. Living out your true passions might not always lead to you pursuing the job that pays you well. You might end up being a starving artist living every day scrounging for people to sell your art to, or you might end up a successful artist with wealthy patrons. You’ll never really know until you’ve given it a try. Think about what you enjoy participating in during your spare time and what brings joy to your life. That’s how you’ll discover your true passions.
3. Try Something New
Say you don’t really have a passion to name. That’s still perfectly okay. Life is exceptionally long, and you can pick up something new at any age you choose if you put in the right effort. Maybe you had an inkling of learning pottery while you were in college. You can check out workshops and classes and try attending them when you have free time around your work schedule. You can also look online for some great low-cost or free adult learning classes or take a tutorial.
Having said that, it is okay to feel confused and not feel worthless if you don’t have a dream. We are always taught to be goal-oriented and follow one dream and achieve it. If someone is questioning your potential just because you can’t decide on one, it does not reduce your capabilities at all. There will come a time when you settle on something after trying out everything and then eventually figure out what works for you the best.
4. Evaluate Your Top Skills
Almost all of us have a particular set of skills that we are absolutely excellent at. Whether that is home improvements, cooking, or even crafting, coming up with a list of your top skills can help you get an idea of your interests. Apart from learning some more about yourself as part of the self-discovery process, being aware of your strengths is always a good thing. If you feel like you have nothing, well, you are fooling yourself. In order to find your top skill, you need to do some self-retrospection and listen to others’ compliments that we usually take too lightly as mere words.
5. Identify What You Value Most About Yourself
Your worldview is often shaped by what you value the most about yourself. These intrinsic values can say a lot about one’s nature and help illustrate your life in a way that you want to live it. It’s almost like a set of guidelines that are set into place by not just our parents but by our life experiences as well. So explore the principles of yourself that you deem most valuable. This could be anything from how open-minded you may be or your manners.
6. Ask Yourself Some Important Questions
When you want to know the answer to something about yourself, you need to start by asking yourself some simple equations. These could be:
- Why do I do what I do?
- What drives me in life?
- What do I feel like I am missing?
- What kind of impact do my decisions have on my own life?
- Am I too hard on myself?
- Do I give myself less credit than I actually deserve?
Once you have asked yourself these questions, apply them to different areas of your life. More than anything, you need to learn to be entirely honest with yourself, which is often a tough choice. Even if you cannot come up with good answers to these questions, it does not mean that you have failed at life; it just suggests that you need to make a few changes.
7. Seek Out Therapy
In India, mental health is often given less credit which leads to complex problems. Going to the therapist is termed something as offensive as a raving mad person. You don’t have to be clinically depressed to visit a therapist. Having a talk whenever you are happy or going through a major change in life can also be good for yourself. The therapist can only help you guide through your emotions. When the process of self-discovery starts to feel like it is too overwhelming, don’t be afraid to seek out help. Therapy can provide you with a safe way to express your true self without fear. It will give you the ability to gain some compassionate guidance. You don’t just need to experience negative mental health problems to seek therapy, as it can help people sort through a wide range of issues. It can help you tackle career changes, issues accepting your identity, and much more.
This process is different for everyone, and you don’t need to follow just one path. It will take lots of researching, introspection, and getting in touch with yourself for self-discovery. In the end, all you really need is to have a certain level of patience. Do let us know all of your thoughts in the comment section below!
