Steps To Discover Your True Self

                                   

How can you know who you are and what you should do with your life? Here are the six steps you must take to discover your true self: 

• Maintain silence. 

You cannot and will not discover yourself unless you take the time to be still. Many people don't know themselves because silence frightens them; it's too uncomfortable to be alone with all of their flaws staring back at them. But you won't be able to see every aspect of your life—the good and the bad—until you take some time alone, evaluate yourself, and be completely honest with yourself. Quiet yourself and discover your true self.

• Recognize who you truly are rather than who you wish to be.

 I know you already have an idea of who you want to be, but it may not be who you were born to be. When you understand who you are, you will be able to see where you and your unique gifts fit into the larger picture.

And, while there are many points along the way to help you discover yourself, taking a personality test and the StrengthsFinder test is the best place to start. (If you haven't taken either of these in five years or more, take them again.) No, these self-evaluations aren't perfect, but they do identify your top areas of strength, allowing you to focus on the change you were born to bring about.

• Find out what you're good at (and not good at).

This may be the most difficult step in discovering who you truly are, but it is also the most important. Sure, it takes trial and error to figure out what you're good at, and no, I don't want you to give up before you've given it your all, but knowing when to quit is a skill that everyone should learn.

When you've put in enough time and your efforts aren't paying off, it's time to call it quits. What exactly is adequate time? That is entirely up to you. But when you quit correctly, you aren't giving up; rather, you are making room for something better. When your actions drain you rather than rekindle your passion and drive to do more, it's a good sign that it's time to shift your focus. Your abilities will reveal who you are.

• Discover your area of interest.

Following a passion of any kind is a good thing, and you should pay attention to it when it appears because it indicates an area of life where you need to pay more attention. It's a good thing if we're talking about following your passion at work. And it's a good thing if we're talking about having more passion for life. Focus more on your passions and gain a better understanding of yourself, and you will have a greater impact. Passion generates effort, and consistent effort generates results, which leads to a deeper understanding of your true self.

• Request feedback.

Hearing what others have to say about you is a useful practice if you don't know yourself. Ask them two simple questions: "What strengths do you think I should work on more?" and "What weaknesses do you believe I should work on?" Of course, their opinion isn't going to be perfect, but their feedback will most likely point out a few areas where you should take a second look. This step is especially important for those who are having difficulty discovering themselves. Those closest to us can sometimes see things in us that we are unable to see in ourselves.

• Assess your relationships.

Relationships play an important role in discovering yourself. When you realize you'll never truly know anyone else until you discover yourself, the significance of knowing yourself becomes clear. This is especially true for business leaders, because if you don't know your team members, you'll be lost as a leader. However, this rule applies to any relationship in your life. Other people need to know who you are almost as much as you need to know yourself. People require you to be yourself.

Use your reflections to overcome your greatest fears, because when you understand who you are, your purpose will finally become greater than your fears. You will spend less time spinning your wheels once you understand who you are. Concentrating on your strengths gives you the traction you need to make a bigger and better difference in the world. When you know yourself, you will find more peace and success more quickly than ever before.

Now, go take action and discover your true self, beginning today.