self discovery journey meaning

How to Begin Your Self-Discovery Journey: 16 Best Questions

As part of this process, we must not only search to determine what constitutes our true selves, but let go of objects of identification we’ve long mistaken for ourselves, requiring a balance of introspection and new experiences.

So let’s set sail.

In this article, we’ll give you a range of powerful questions to help you along your journey of self-discovery and point you toward further reading and resources.

Before you continue, you might like to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free . These creative, science-based exercises will help you learn more about your values, motivations, and goals and will give you the tools to inspire a sense of meaning in the lives of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is self-discovery according to psychology, fostering self-discovery skills: 10 examples & tips, why is the process important, a look at self-discovery coaching, 3 exercises, games, and activities for adults, best worksheets and journal prompts, 16 questions to ask yourself or your clients, helpful books & apps for your journey, tools from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Drawing often from the field of philosophy , psychologists point to the illumination of our daimon (or ‘true self’) as the ultimate goal of self-discovery.

Formally defined, this true self is

“the central inner force common to all human beings and yet unique to each, which is the deep source of growth… [that is] free, healthy development in accordance with the potentials of one’s generic and individual nature.”

Horney, 1950, p. 17

As part of the process of searching for our true selves, we are ultimately working to identify three things (Waterman, 2011):

• Personal potentials
• Our purposes for living
• Opportunities to act upon those potentials and purposes in living

The search for our true selves, therefore:

“refers to those processes, both intuitive and reasoned, by which those [personal, purpose-related] potentials are discovered and come to attain the status of personally concordant goals that are to be actualized.”

Waterman, 2011, p. 360

According to this view, a person’s true self essentially lies beneath the surface, and our task is to find, recognize, or understand that which already exists. Once you have, you can then make choices about your life and identity that are more consistent with this self-knowledge (Waterman, 2011).

Seek a supportive atmosphere

The more time we spend in the presence of supportive family, friends, lovers, and communities , the sooner we will be likely to discover our true nature. This is because warm and encouraging atmospheres facilitate feelings of inner security while providing the freedom to have our own feelings and thoughts (Horney, 1950).

To this end, here are some ideas to consider:

• Seek quiet spaces and time out to facilitate reflection or journaling .
• Join a social group whose interests and passions align with your own, such as a painting, writing, or poetry group.
• Find a coach or therapist for a safe space to pursue self-discovery.
• Set boundaries with people who discourage your individuality, negatively affect your emotions, or put you down.
• Seek the company of people who inspire you, make you feel positive, and challenge your perception of yourself.

Identify your drifts

Pay close attention to the things you naturally love doing, or drifts, particularly those that are personally expressive . By paying attention to the subconscious pull of these activities, you can allow them to guide you toward your true self, stemming from your genetic makeup, upbringing, and experiences (Pagedar, 2021).

• Our drifts tend to emerge when the mind is still, so try selecting a quiet day to do some meditation or practice some relaxation techniques.
• Try to notice activities that cause you to slip into the state of flow , as these often point us toward our drifts.
• Consider which activities you possess a natural aptitude or talent for, perhaps using a strengths-finding exercise .
• Think about which activities you find intrinsically motivating . These are the activities you would undertake in the absence of external rewards, such as money or the approval of others.
• Notice times when you feel a strong sense of personal responsibility to do something or have a unique vision about how something should be carried out.

Download 3 Meaning & Valued Living Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to find meaning in life help and pursue directions that are in alignment with values.

Download 3 Free Meaning Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

To understand why self-discovery is so important, we must consider the consequences of failing to identify our true selves.

According to Horney (1950), when a person experiences a large discrepancy between their lived and real selves, they are likely to experience a sense of alienation from themselves. This remains true even if the person is successful in their activities and receives external rewards.

Such a person may often notice themselves wondering, “ Why am I doing this when it’s not who I really am? ” The consequence is a feeling of guilt or dissatisfaction if we fail to live up to an idealized version of ourselves that we cannot be.

Besides this negative emotional toll, the problem with pursuing such an ideal is that it will be rooted in externally derived standards of worth.

To illustrate, here are some examples:

• A student feels pressure from their parents to pursue a prestigious career in law, even though this line of work does not inspire them.
• A famous musician has mistaken their true self with their like of the status, prestige, and social validation they receive while performing.
• A woman’s family talks her into finding a husband and settling down when she’d rather travel the world with her friends.
• A son feels obligated to take over the family business when he’d prefer to start his own venture.

When we cannot live in alignment with our true selves, we must spend energy attempting to deny and distort our experiences to make sense of a pervasive lack of happiness and personal fulfillment. This ongoing effort can go so far as to produce psychological states and conditions such as depression (Waterman et al., 2010).

This is why self-discovery is so important.

Our goal in life should not be to pursue imagined or externally derived ideals, but rather to develop a more realistic understanding of our strengths and limitations. By doing so, we can avoid negative psychological states and self-actualize , feel contentment, and make better contributions to the world.

A growing trend in coaching, self-discovery coaching is about looking beyond specific goal pursuits (e.g., “I want to improve my self-esteem ”) to discover how we can live authentically and be truly happy .

Self-discovery coaching has many components, including (Elevate Life Project, n.d.):

• Exploring your values to live in congruence with what’s most important to you
• Discovering grounded confidence, centeredness, and strength
• Identifying your abilities for making easier decisions

The role of a self-discovery coach in this process is to act as co-pilot on a client’s journey toward authentic fulfillment by challenging them, imbuing them with courage, and showing compassion.

If you or your clients are looking to set off on a self-discovery journey, consider the following fun and insightful activities to get you started.

This exercise is a useful starting point for viewing yourself clearly in terms of values, beliefs, and more. The exercise guides users through a two-step process of considering themselves from the perspective of others, followed by a consideration of their self-perceptions at different times in their life.

Spontaneous collage

Collage is a fun and cathartic method of self-discovery that helps people bypass the socially protective aspects of the mind and reveal aspects of their authentic self. Best of all, no previous art experience is required.

For a great resource, check out Shelley Klammer’s 12-week online course and check out the #collageforselfdiscovery hashtag on Instagram to get inspired by others’ collages.

Kokology: The Game of Self-Discovery

Created by famous Japanese psychologists Tadahiko Nagao and Isamu Saito, kokology , the study of kokoro (“mind” or “spirit” in Japanese), is a fun and sometimes hilarious game for learning about yourself.

The game invites players to answer questions about seemingly innocent topics, such as the color of an imaginary bird that has flown in their window, to reveal profound insights in their answers.

Journaling and worksheets can both be hugely helpful for this purpose.

To help, look at some of the following free resources from our site:

• Self-Awareness Worksheet for Adults This worksheet poses a series of 15 questions to help you discover more about your true self. Specifically, the questions tap into topics such as your talents/strengths, values, and barriers to living more authentically.
• What Are My Qualities and Traits? This worksheet invites you to identify your top five and weakest two qualities from a list of 100 strengths. It then invites you to consider how you might shape, develop, and use your toolkit of identified strengths to better your life.
• Reflecting on Three Things This worksheet invites you to explore what defines who you are. These reflections can include statements, objects, roles in life, people you admire, and ambitions.

If you’re more into journaling, see if any of the following prompts might inspire some of your upcoming entries (Hollis, 2019):

• What things have you been doing lately that may be positively or negatively affecting your mental health ?
• What ways can you touch or move your body that makes you feel good?
• If you could spend the day doing anything, what would you do?
• How do you show love to other people?
• What are some things about you that you wish other people knew?

How to discover your authentic self – at any age – Bevy Smith

For more ways to get started on your journey of self-inquiry, consider the following questions, drawn from leading books designed to guide you toward self-discovery (see Helpful Books & Apps for Your Journey ):

Mindful self-discovery questions

• What’s going on inside your body at the moment (e.g., sensations, flows of energy)?
• Is there joy, ease, and lightness in what you are doing at the present moment?
• Do you really have any problems right now in this present moment ?
• Is there anything you can do to change, improve, or remove yourself from a present dissatisfactory situation? If not, how can you move toward accepting your present circumstances?

Exploring values

• What are your top five personal and professional values?
• How are you living outside your values?
• In what areas do you feel a personal sense of responsibility to better the world?
• How are you living outside of your integrity?

Questions about fear and courage

• What do you fear the most?
• What fears have actually come true in your life?
• What would happen if you treated the actions you fear as an experiment?
• For which pending decision could you use 10% more courage?

Considering worthwhile experiences

• What has made your childhood worthwhile?
• What lessons did you learn last week?
• What makes life worthwhile for you?
• What trip have you always wanted to take, and how could you make this trip happen?

More questions for self-discovery

For even more powerful coaching questions, be sure to check out some of the dedicated articles throughout our blog:

• 73 Powerful Coaching Questions to Ask Your Clients
• 100 Most Powerful Life Coaching Questions [+PDF]
• Self-Coaching Model Explained: 56 Questions & Techniques for Self-Mastery

Here are some of our favorite books and apps to support greater self-insight and discovery.

1. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle

A critical first step toward greater self-insight involves ceasing to confuse your true self with the endless stream of thoughts flowing through your mind.

The bestselling book The Power of Now  takes readers on a journey to find their deepest self through the lens of mindfulness and spirituality.

The book guides the reader through steps to help recognize and free themselves from ego in the form of defense mechanisms, automatic negative habits, and over-identification with thought. From here, readers can then discover their true nature and lasting contentment, rooted in the present moment.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Self-Discovery Questions: 155 Breakthrough Questions to Accelerate Massive Action – Barrie Davenport

Not all of us have the resources to employ a self-discovery coach, making it all the more important to know what questions to ask on your self-discovery journey.

Barrie Davenport’s book of 155 powerful questions is a perfect companion for self-reflection and journaling, helping readers become less reactive and take charge of their lives and destiny.

Once you become acquainted with your answers, you can strengthen self-awareness , break out of automatic patterns, and feel empowered to make positive new life changes.

3. The 365 Self-Discovery Journal: One Year of Reflection & Development – Created by 21 Exercises

Journaling remains one of the best ways to pursue self-discovery and greater self-insight (Charles, 2010).

This book provides journal lovers with a year’s worth of challenging and original questions to guide self-discovery.

By combining each prompt with thought-provoking poems and quotes, this book is an excellent tool to help steadily expand the reader’s comfort zone and curiosity across domains ranging from career and finances to love and relationships.

4. The Quenza app

Quenza was designed by our very own team as a one-stop resource for coaches and psychologists wishing to remotely support their clients’ self-inquiry between scheduled sessions.

The app links with an online dashboard and growing library of science-backed activities you can customize and send directly to your clients’ smart devices, including audio meditations, guided visualizations, and many thought-provoking reflections.

Try the app, platform, and entire library of pre-built activities for 30 days for just $1.

5. The Waking Up app

While Western takes on meditation tend to emphasize health and stress reduction, there is much more we can discover about ourselves through this powerful practice.

Waking Up , developed by philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris, features a rich array of audio-based meditations, exercises, and conversations with leading experts and teachers to help you make profound discoveries about the nature of your own mind.

This app is a top-rated resource for those seeking to dismantle illusions of the self and rediscover their true nature and purpose.

6. The Reflectly app

With the growing recognition of journaling as a tool for self-insight, new technologies are emerging to support this powerful practice.

Reflectly is a modern journaling app for self-care and greater happiness. Drawing on evidence-based approaches from positive psychology, mindfulness, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, this app serves as an AI companion to help you manage negative thoughts and find greater happiness.

Among its personalized functions, the app includes daily quotes, a mood tracker , and personalized insights via its reporting features.

Throughout this post, we’ve discussed the importance of clarifying values to better understand what brings meaning throughout one’s journey of self-discovery. To this end, we invite you to check out our free Meaning & Valued Living Exercises Pack .

This pack features three of our top tools from the Positive Psychology Toolkit©, all of which center on the theme of values-based living:

• The Top 5 Values This exercise draws on key principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help clients begin brainstorming their values. Following this, clients will then prioritize these values in a list to identify those most central to who they are.
• Self-Eulogy This exercise invites clients to consider how they’d like to be remembered at their funeral as a means to identify and clarify values. Based on this, they can then consider how well they are living in alignment with these values.
• The Scoreboard Metaphor This exercise helps clients recognize how to enact their values through goal-setting. In particular, it draws on the metaphor of a basketball game to illustrate how living into one’s values is an ongoing process and that the paths by which we pursue our goals are opportunities to enact our values in daily life.

You can access all three exercises for free by downloading our Meaning & Valued Living Exercises Pack .

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others discover meaning, this collection contains 17 validated meaning tools for practitioners. Use them to help others choose directions for their lives in alignment with what is truly important to them.

17 Tools To Encourage Meaningful, Value-Aligned Living

This 17 Meaning & Valued Living Exercises [PDF] pack contains our best exercises for helping others discover their purpose and live more fulfilling, value-aligned lives.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Self-discovery is an ongoing process of stripping away that which is unimportant, reviewing our core values, and seeking to live in greater alignment with these inner truths.

Importantly, anyone can take steps toward greater self-knowledge . All that’s required is an attitude of curiosity and regular time out for meditation, reflection, or self-questioning.

We hope this article has left you feeling equipped for your journey of self-discovery, and if you decide to try out any of the tools or exercises we’ve explored, be sure to let us know in the comments.

We’d love to hear from you.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free .

• 21 Exercises. (2018).  The 365 self-discovery journal: One year of reflection & development.  Author.
• Charles, J. P. (2010). Journaling: Creating space for “I”. Creative Nursing , 16 (4), 180–184.
• Davenport, B. (2015).  Self-discovery questions: 155 Breakthrough questions to accelerate massive action.  Bold Living Press.
• Elevate Life Project. (n.d.). Self discovery coaching . Retrieved October 11, 2021 from https://elevatelifeproject.com/self-discovery-coaching/
• Hollis, B. (2019, July 16). Who am I? Journaling prompts for self-discovery and self-reflection. Learning to Be Free . Retrieved October 11, 2021 from https://www.learningtobefree.com/2019/07/16/journaling-prompts-for-self-discovery/
• Horney, K. (1950). Neurosis and human growth: The struggle toward self-realization . Norton.
• Pagedar, A. (2021). Finding awareness: The journey of self-discovery . Author.
• Tolle, E. (2004).  The power of now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment.  New World Library.
• Waterman, A. S. (2011). Eudaimonic identity theory: Identity as self-discovery. In S. Schwartz, K. Luyckx, & V. Vignoles (Eds.), Handbook of identity theory and research (pp. 357–379). Springer.
• Waterman, A. S., Schwartz, S. J., Zamboanga, B. L., Ravert, R. D., Williams, M. K., Bede Agocha, V., … Brent Donnellan, M. (2010). The Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric properties, demographic comparisons, and evidence of validity. The Journal of Positive Psychology , 5 (1), 41–61.

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What our readers think.

This is a great article for self-discovery, I recommend it to all, it’s a must read for the young minds.

Thanks to a great counselor. I appreciate your encouragement and efforts that have served as an eyes opener to self discovery and other resources that is helpful.

You have some great resources listed here in this article. Thanks for the great read! -Ryan

Appreciated, Nicole, for insight well done to start kicking where need be. Keep up te good work!

Thanks Nicole. I will explore some of the resources which sounds great. I work with medical students, some of whom are at the very beginning of learning reflective approaches to enhance their self knowledge. The challenge is always to find a variety of ways to promote engagement. You have given me some helpful ideas.

Thank You Dr, Nicole.

I have left you a message on LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for this wonderful article. Very useful and helps in the journey of self awareness and so helpful to the therapist and counselors who are using these resources to support clients. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all the resources that benefit the clients and counselors who otherwise would not be able to access such great quality articles and resources. Thank you. As a counselor who is doing a lot of free counseling these resources and articles are so helpful, cause I cannot afford them otherwise. Thanks for supporting the counselors and therapist and clients who ultimately benefit.

Thanks, Nicole … you shared a very interesting set of perspective.

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Insideout Mastery

Create a Life You Love

Self-Discovery Journey: 17 Best Ways to Get Started

October 3, 2023 by Mick

Do you feel disconnected between how you show up in the world and your inner experiences? And do you struggle to find out who you are and what you’re meant to do in this world?

You’re not alone.

For the longest time, I felt the same way.

And I was looking externally for answers. I thought that getting rich, having a girlfriend, and accumulating more friends would make me happier.

But I was wrong.

Instead, I had to search within first. 

Embarking on a self-discovery journey provides answers.

Self-insight leads to clarity and inner harmony.

Your life’s quality increases when you align your actions with your personality, core values, needs, and strengths. Every aspect of your life becomes more meaningful when you pursue what matters most to you.

The self-discovery process is key to success and fulfillment.

So, let’s take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life. It’s time to explore your essence to unravel your most authentic self .

Let’s dive in!

What is self-discovery?

Why is it important to discover yourself.

• The 2-step self-discovery process

How to start your self-discovery journey?

This post contains affiliate links, so if you buy something through my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Note that I only endorse products that I’ve personally bought and enjoyed

Self-discovery is a lifelong process of learning who you are, what you want, and why it all matters to you.

This includes many aspects like your values, beliefs, desires, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, passions, purpose, and more.

But why care about self-discovery?

The self-discovery journey leads to self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and a clearer understanding of your life’s path. And aligning your actions and behavior with your true self leads to more meaning, fulfillment, and joy.

Here’s why you should embark on self-exploration:

• Authenticity : Discovering yourself reduces the need for external validation and leads to congruent decisions, actions, and behavior.
• Self-awareness : Recognizing triggers and behavioral patterns allows you to respond to life’s challenges more effectively.
• Personal growth : Self-discovery allows you to better navigate your strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to reach your full potential.
• Fulfillment : Pursuing activities, relationships, and career paths that align with your passions and values increases life satisfaction.
• Self-confidence : Unraveling your strengths, values, and passions fosters self-belief in your ability to navigate life’s challenges.
• Purpose and meaning : Doing what matters most allows you to find deeper meaning in your actions and contributions.
• Healthy relationships: Understanding your communication style, needs, and boundaries sets the basis for effective communication and better relationships.

Self-discovery enables you to reinvent yourself and live a more intentional life. Let’s find out how you can make it happen.

2-Step self-discovery process

There are 2 general steps to the self-discovery process:

• Take action : Try something new and explore interests and ideas.
• Self-reflection : Reflect on your actions, behavior, feelings, and emotions to learn about your needs, preferences, and styles. Here’s an extensive list of questions to ask yourself .

Repeating those two steps leads to deeper self-understanding.

And if you do something related to each step every week, just imagine how much you’ll learn about yourself over the course of a year.

Now, let’s uncover…

Most people do one of three things:

• They take consistent action but rarely reflect.
• They reflect often but rarely try something new.
• Or they neither reflect nor take consistent action.

What most fail to realize is that self-discovery requires consistent action and continuous reflection. These two steps are essential if you want to discover yourself fast.  

The next section provides ideas. Develop good habits or a daily routine around a few of those items to promote consistency.

Now let’s get started:

#1: Map your archetype

Trying to be like someone else is a recipe for disaster. And exploring your inner world is the only way to live a truly fulfilling life. 

It took some time for me to understand that.

My extroverted friends got all the girls at school, whereas I struggled with introversion.

But being an introvert wasn’t my problem.

Instead, I was trying to be like my extroverted friends. I felt fake and inauthentic. And the girls smelled it from miles away.

I kept struggling with myself until I discovered my strengths as an introvert. Rather than trying to be the life of the party, I had to learn to be myself. And to have fun in my own way.

That’s sexy.

And not just in relationships – but in all areas of life.

You must understand who you are and what makes you tick to design your best life.

So what helped me to get unstuck after years of frustration? 

I learned about myself through the best personality tests . These insights changed everything. And that’s why they’re my most recommended tool for people who’re just starting their self-discovery journey.

Here are my favorite options from Truity :

• 16 Personalities Test
• Enneagram Test
• Big 5 Personality Test

Once you’ve mapped your personality traits, it’s time to…

#2: Discover your superpowers

You excel in life when you work from personal strengths .

Of course, you should upgrade any weaknesses that interfere with your work and personal life. But for the most part, you’ll experience more joy and achieve better results when you lead with your superpowers.

Here are some questions to find out what you’re good at :

• What do you happily spend money on?
• What did you achieve, and how?
• What provides you joy?
• What gives you energy?
• And what compliments do you get often?

Use these questions to brainstorm. In addition, you can conduct a personal SWOT analysis . And then supplement your findings with a strengths test to gain a different perspective, such as the HIGH5 Test .

#3: Unravel your personal core values

Your personal values serve as the governing rules of your life. 

You feel congruent when you make decisions and take actions that align with your core values.  

And you’ll feel disconnected when there’s a mismatch.

Mapping your values can explain your emotions, feelings, and behaviors in certain situations. It helps you navigate challenges. And it guides your decision-making processes.

Below are some questions to unravel your values:

• What do you value most in life?
• When do you feel happy and most fulfilled?
• What areas of your life do you value the most and why?
• Who inspires you, and which of their traits inspire you the most?
• Finally, select what resonates from this list of core values .

Brainstorm a list of all the values that come to mind. 

Then, delete the least important values until a top 10 remains. Finally, prioritize these 10 from high to low.

Consult your top three to five values often to live congruently.

#4: Make a list of interests

Unraveling your personality traits, strengths, and values is a great first step on your journey of self-discovery.

And I hope you did the exercises.

The next step is to list your interests. 

What would you like to explore?

Write down everything that comes to mind. 

This is your mini-bucket list, something to try at least once.

Here are some questions to inspire your list:

• What piques your interest already?
• What are potential passions you want to explore?
• What topics would you want to read a book about?
• What new skills do you want to learn ?
• What outdoor activities do you want to try out?
• What sports have you never done before?
• What new hobbies would you like to explore?
• What instruments would you like to play?
• What places would you love to visit?

Trying new stuff makes life more fun. It also teaches you a ton about yourself. And you might just stumble upon a new passion or career path like me.

Once you’ve got an extensive list, it’s time to…

#5: Create personal quests

Personal quests are your life goals .

And perhaps you already set personal goals . But if not, pick the most appealing items from your list of interests.

What would you like to explore first?

For example, say you want to travel through South America for a few months. And you want to learn Spanish in the next 2 months.

And perhaps you want to find meaningful work after your travels. So you decide that you’ll spend 6 months learning a high-income skill when you get back.

Now, you’ve already got a year’s worth of personal quests.

Even if you’re unsure about your long-term plans, you should set short-term goals and get moving. 

That’s much better than dabbling or waiting around.

For starters, setting and achieving goals is a cure for boredom. But remember that taking action is what provides self-knowledge and insights, enabling you to set better and more meaningful goals.

Some questions to clarify your options:

• What skills would you like to master?
• What do you want to become an expert in?
• If money was no issue, what would you do?
• What would you like to achieve in life?
• How would you like to make a difference in the world ?
• What experiences would you like to accumulate?
• What places would you like to travel to?
• And what does your ideal self look like?

Write down everything that comes to mind.

And don’t forget to…

#6: Embark on a solo adventure

Backpacking by myself through Australia was one of the greatest catalysts for self-exploration. 

Solo adventures accelerate personal growth, independence, and self-awareness. Besides learning about yourself, you’ll learn a lot about others and the world around you too.

Backpacking was the best decision I ever made.

But you don’t have to travel for months. 

Consider these solo adventures:

• Go on a hike by yourself
• Do a floatation tank session
• Go to a wellness center for the day
• Enjoy a holiday abroad by yourself
• Visit a silence retreat for a few days
• Make a little road trip by yourself
• Or travel alone for extended periods

Traveling alone can feel awkward and scary. But discomfort is okay. In fact, pursuing discomfort is the catalyst for personal growth. 

And there’s nothing wrong with a solo adventure. 

Quite the contrary.

You’ll unlock your greatness when you…

#7: Embrace solitude

There’s great power in silence.

But in a world that glorifies extroverted traits and constant connectivity, solitude may seem intimidating. 

Yet, moments of aloneness are essential to turn inward. Tune out of external distractions to deepen the connection with yourself. 

Solitude is the secret sauce to connect with your inner self.

Many successful people embrace periods of solitude for deep thinking and self-reflection. Think about Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, J.K. Rowling, Mahatma Gandhi, and many more.

And there are many ways to embrace solitude.

Going on a solo adventure is an excellent option. But also consider the following practices and habits:

• Deep breathing
• Walking in nature
• Riding your bike
• Creative thinking
• Observing sunrise or sunset
• Engaging in creative acts
• Reflecting on your goals
• Disconnecting from technology

Schedule time for solitude. Although it may feel uncomfortable initially, exploring your inner world can lead to long-term success and happiness.

But you can also take a different approach and…

#8: Volunteer somewhere

Volunteering can lead to self-awareness while positively impacting others and the community. It exposes you to different perspectives and viewpoints you might never consider on your own. 

It also provides a sense of purpose. And you’ll undoubtedly meet some amazing people in the process.

Here are some volunteering ideas:

• Environmental conservation such as community clean-up projects. 
• Mentor or tutor (unprivileged) others and share your knowledge.
• Care for animals in need of love and attention in animal shelters.
• Help organize charity events, fundraisers, or community gatherings.
• Provide support and resources at homeless shelters.
• Organize or assist in creative workshops.
• Spend time with seniors at nursing homes.
• Volunteer at hospitals or healthcare centers.
• Get involved with organizations supporting social causes. 
• Join disaster relief teams or organizations to assist communities affected by natural disasters.

There are many more volunteering opportunities. Perhaps your work has connections to volunteering organizations too.

Try it out and reflect on your experience.

#9: Start a writing practice

Something happens in the brain when we write. 

The art of writing stuff down provides greater clarity – especially when you write with pen and paper. Having a writing practice is a transformative way to promote self-discovery for many people. 

And yet again, there are many different options:

• Keep a journal to explore your thoughts, fears, and reflections. 
• Daily goal-setting to create clarity and maintain focus.
• Keep a gratitude journal to appreciate the little things in life.
• Try creative writing , such as poetry, short stories, or fiction.
• Write letters to yourself, others, or your future self.
• Use mind-mapping techniques to organize thoughts and ideas.
• Compose a personal manifesto that outlines your core principles.
• Reflect on significant events or milestones in your life.
• Rewrite your story by crafting the perfect next chapter of your life.
• Write Morning Pages , a concept from The Artist’s Way . Write three pages of free-flowing thoughts every morning.

Putting thoughts into words clarifies your emotions, feelings, beliefs, needs, goals, and aspirations.

If you need some help, you can…

#10: Use self-reflection cards

Do you lack the inspiration to sit down and journal? If so, you might enjoy prompts to get you started. Use these reflection cards to tap into the benefits of journaling .

Grab a new card each day and answer the question.

You can answer it out loud. 

But again, there’s magic in writing stuff down. Writing slows your thought process, forcing you to sit with each thought a little longer.

These unique questions help you to think about different aspects of your life. And they also encourage you to ask the hard questions.

So definitely try this tool on your journey of self-discovery.

And for the dreamers…

#11: Visualize your perfect life

Visualization is a great technique to manifest success and abundance .

But it’s also very effective to explore opportunities.

Lay down and close your eyes for the next 5-15 minutes. Imagine yourself achieving and having everything your heart desires. 

• What do you see? 
• How do you feel?
• And who are you with?

Then imagine that you did everything there was to do, bought everything you wanted to buy, and visited all the places you wanted to see. 

What would you do next?

Exploring your ideal life is fun, fosters a positive mental attitude , and ignites a greater sense of purpose beyond the superficial stuff.

Another idea is to go back in time and…

#12: Dig into your childhood

Your past is a goldmine for self-discovery.

It holds valuable clues to the building blocks of your identity. 

Childhood memories, experiences, and influences shape who we become as adults. And delving into your past can reveal patterns, beliefs, and values that still influence you today. 

Here’s how to revisit your earlier life:

• Gather memory triggers such as items, photographs, old diaries, or any objects that remind you of your childhood.
• Begin with your earliest memories and gradually work your way through various stages of childhood. Remember moments of joy, challenges, fears, and significant events.
• Reflect on your emotions as you recall past experiences. They’re powerful indicators of what mattered to you during those times.
• Identify influential people throughout your life and consider how they shaped your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Identify patterns in your thoughts and beliefs. And evaluate whether they still influence your actions and decisions today.
• Journal your discoveries to record insights and realizations.

Remember that personal growth and self-discovery is the goal of exploring your childhood memories. So, make sure you celebrate positive memories and learn from any challenges.

This practice may uncover the roots of many beliefs and behaviors.

Alternatively, try…

#13: Walking meditation

Walking through nature is one of my favorite ways to become self-aware.

And I occasionally plan a long hike to connect with myself.

I’ll grab a bag, pen, and journal. And I’ll pack some of my favorite snacks and drinks. Then, I’ll go far out to explore a new place on foot. 

I usually split my long walk into sessions:

• Listening to podcasts
• Listening to music
• Immersing myself in nature
• Brainstorming new ideas
• And exploring my thoughts

Regardless of what I’m doing, thoughts and ideas always arise. And when they do, I’ll explore them or write them down to explore later. 

Feel free to give your spin to it.

But be mindful of what you do during your walk. If you listen to podcasts 100% of the time, you still distract yourself from your inner voice.

#14: Learn new skills

Skill development is a fantastic way to make yourself more valuable and attractive to the marketplace. And the process also unlocks self-insights and new possibilities.

For example, I started my blog to crystalize my thoughts and deepen my personal growth journey. But blogging also taught me more about writing, marketing, web development, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Although I didn’t know about SEO before, I found it fascinating. 

So I quit my finance career to pursue an internship with my new long-term goal to become an SEO consultant.

And today, I’m a freelance SEO specialist. I love what I do and I’ve the freedom I always desired to work from anywhere.

All because I decided to start blogging.

Where can you start?

Here is some inspiration:

• Brainstorm skills you already want to learn more about.
• Browse the catalog of Udemy to explore interesting skills.
• Explore high-income skills you can learn from home .
• Read my list of new skills to learn at home .
• Learn a new language with Rocket Languages .
• Start a personal project, like a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel.
• View the book categories on Amazon and dive into subcategories to discover new topics.

Schedule time in your week to learn a new skill or upgrade existing ones if you want to unlock your wildest dreams and aspirations.

#15: Try something new – and do so often

When was the last time you did something new?

We often are too busy or scared to try new things. And we fail to see the immense value of engaging in novel experiences.

But there are many benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone and seeking new experiences.  

It’ll improve your confidence, creativity, and resilience. 

And it’ll make your life much more exciting and interesting.

Finally, it boosts self-awareness.

So challenge yourself to engage in novel activities regularly.

In your downtime, you can use the following…

#16: Self-discovery questions to raise self-awareness

Our greatest gift is to wonder.

And self-questioning is an effective tool to become curious about your thoughts, feelings, needs, values, goals, and aspirations.

Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself:

• How am I living in alignment with my core values?
• What currently brings me the most joy and fulfillment?
• What are the activities or environments that drain my energy?
• How do I define success and happiness?
• What are my biggest fears, and how do they hold me back?
• What are the greatest obstacles that keep me from my goals?
• Is there anything I should change about my current situation?
• What do I like best about myself and my situation?
• How did I cope with recent stress and challenges?
• What activities or hobbies make me lose track of time?
• What are some self-limiting beliefs I hold about myself?
• How did I handle criticism and feedback from others?
• What are patterns or recurring themes in my daily life?
• What are my most recent accomplishments?
• How do I want others to see me?
• Which relationships do I want to invest more time in?
• What are the things I need to let go of to move forward?
• What are some past experiences that shaped who I am?
• How do I define my identity and sense of self?
• What do I want to learn or explore more in life?
• What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind?
• How do I ensure consistent personal growth?
• What are my favorite ways to express creativity?
• What lessons did I learn last week?
• How did I recently take care of my physical, emotional, and mental well-being?

Frequently asking yourself these self-discovery questions fosters self-awareness , continuous self-improvement , and self-esteem .

#17: Accept yourself fully

Accepting yourself is crucial for well-being, success, and happiness.

And here’s how you can cultivate self-acceptance:

• Treat yourself like a good friend in distress.
• Identify and challenge negative self-limiting beliefs . Replace them with positive affirmations and constructive statements.
• Acknowledge and celebrate your successes, no matter how small.
• Strive for progress, not perfection.
• Set realistic goals to gain momentum.
• Express yourself authentically through activities you enjoy.
• Forgive yourself for past mistakes and learn from them instead.
• Spend more time around people who support and uplift you, rather than those who bring you down.
• Seek support if you struggle to accept yourself. A therapist can guide you through the process and provide a fresh perspective.

Recognize that accepting yourself is an ongoing process. 

And it’s normal to have ups and downs along the way. 

So stay patient and self-compassionate. 

What’s next?

The process of self-discovery is transformative and unlocks authenticity, inner harmony, and personal fulfillment. 

Gaining deeper insights into your values, desires, and beliefs empowers you to make better decisions. And it’ll open doors to better opportunities, meaningful relationships, and a more purposeful life.

Key takeaways:

• Self-discovery involves exploring your personality traits, strengths, values, desires, interests, purpose, feelings, emotions, and more.
• Take consistent action and try novel things often to expand your comfort zone and uncover what you like and dislike.
• Self-reflect often and embrace periods of solitude.

Challenge: I encourage people who are just starting to take a personality test . And if you already did then challenge yourself to do something new this week.

Also, check out the following resources to dive deeper into self-discovery and personal development:

• The best guided journals
• The best personality tests
• The best books on self-awareness
• The best books on finding your life’s purpose

Finally, are you ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and unlock your true potential? Sign up for weekly insights for personal growth and living an authentic and meaningful life!

Mick is a personal growth enthusiast and was able to use it to transform his life. He now helps others pursue their dreams, create positive change, and build better lives through self-improvement.

Authenticity

What "finding yourself" really means, seeking your true self is a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness..

Posted September 1, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• When someone knows who they are and what they want, they can make choices that are more authentic.
• It is often helpful to identify harmful thinking and behavioral habits and replace them with healthier ones.
• Building meaningful relationships and embracing change can help life feel more fulfilling.

Finding yourself is important because it is the key to living a fulfilling and authentic life. When you truly know yourself, you can make decisions that align with your values, passions, and purpose. It's about understanding who you truly are, embracing your unique story, and living authentically.

But what does "finding yourself" really mean?

Embracing your story

Your story is what makes you unique and powerful. Take the time to reflect on your life experiences, both positive and negative. What have you learned from them? How have they shaped you?

Embracing your story means accepting every part of it, even the challenging moments. By doing so, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself and what the universe has in store for you.

Living authentically

When you find yourself, you can live authentically, being true to who you are at your core. This means embracing your strengths, accepting your weaknesses, and showing up in the world as your genuine self. Living authentically allows you to attract people and experiences that align with your true essence.

Noticing problematic thought patterns

We all have thought patterns that hold us back. Take a moment to identify five problematic thought patterns that frequently recur in your life. Explore how these patterns translate into beliefs and behaviors. Be specific and give examples. Understanding the impact of these patterns on your thinking and life is crucial for creating change.

Discovering your purpose

Finding yourself helps you uncover your purpose in life. By understanding your values, passions, and unique gifts, you can identify the path that brings you the most fulfillment and meaning. Your purpose gives you a sense of direction and guides your decisions, leading to a more purposeful and satisfying life.

Replacing old patterns with new ones

Once you've identified your problematic thought patterns, it's time to replace them with new, empowering ones. Think about what new behaviors or thoughts can replace the old ones. This step requires conscious effort and practice. By consistently implementing these new thoughts and behaviors, you'll start to see a shift in your life.

Building self-confidence

When you know who you are, you develop a strong sense of self-confidence . You become more self-assured in your abilities, decisions, and choices. This confidence radiates in your interactions with others and empowers you to take risks, pursue your dreams , and overcome challenges.

Making it about others

One powerful way to find yourself is by shifting your focus from yourself to others. When we constantly worry about how we are perceived, our light can feel dimmed. Instead, focus on how you want to be remembered and the impact you want to have on others. By making it about others, you'll feel a sense of purpose and invincibility.

Creating meaningful relationships

Finding yourself allows you to attract and cultivate meaningful relationships. When you are authentic and true to yourself, you naturally attract people who appreciate and accept you for who you are. These relationships are based on genuine connections and mutual understanding, leading to deeper and more fulfilling connections.

Embracing change and growth

Finding yourself is an ongoing process. Embrace change and growth as you navigate through life. Be open to new experiences, challenge yourself, and step out of your comfort zone. Remember, it's in the moments of not knowing and feeling lost that our true potential emerges.

Making aligned choices

Knowing yourself helps you make choices that align with your values and aspirations. You become more aware of what truly matters to you and can make decisions that support your personal growth and well-being. This leads to a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in life.

Finding yourself is a deeply personal and unique journey. It may take time, but by embracing your story, replacing old patterns, and focusing on others, you'll start to uncover your true self. Seek support from loved ones, mentors, or even professional guidance if needed. Embrace the adventure of self-discovery and live your truth.

Remember, finding yourself is a continuous journey of self-discovery. It's about exploring, learning, and evolving as you navigate through life. Embrace the process, be patient with yourself, enjoy the adventure of uncovering your true self, and know that you're not alone. We're all trying to find ourselves.

John Kim, LMFT , pioneered an online coaching movement called Lumia Coaching years ago when he started working in unconventional ways. He continues to ride his motorcycle to sessions all over LA, meeting clients in coffee shops, gyms, on hikes. He's a published best selling author and speaker.

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What is a Self-Discovery Journey? And How Do I Get Started?

Self-discovery is a term that is often thrown around, and less often truly understood. What is self-discovery? And how can it benefit you? In this article, we'll define the concept of self-discovery, share tips for how to start the self-discovery process, and explore how self-discovery can lead to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

What Is Self-Discovery?

Self-discovery is a concept that involves pausing and taking a closer look at what you want out of life. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a popular therapeutic tool that explores how we are able to navigate the world on a personal level by meeting our own needs. It uses a pyramid as a visual, and the base of the pyramid is our shared physiological needs such as food, water, sex, and excretion.

On the next level of the pyramid are needs of safety: employment, security of body, family, and property. The next step up are the needs of love and belonging such as relationships. Next comes the needs of self-esteem like confidence, achievement, and respect.

When all of these needs have been met, the final level can be attempted...the need for self-actualization. This is where the journey of self-discovery comes in. Self-discovery is taking a survey of your life, finding out what may be missing, and then taking steps to fulfill these needs.

Why is it Self-Discovery and Self Improvement Important?

For many, self-discovery is an important process because it leads to greater self-knowledge and self-awareness. We can become our best selves and live our best lives when we take the time to look at what we truly want.

It can also lead to greater happiness. Many of us allow our personal values, dreams, creativity, and other essentials to get lost in the shuffle of daily life. Going through the motions of work and home responsibilities can become tedious, and allowing time to explore your inner self can lead to more joy in the day-to-day.

The Process is Essential to Self-Insight

A famous quote tells us that "it's about the journey, not the destination". In the case of a self-discovery journey, this is the truth. The steps you take along the way to find your true self have their own benefits, as we'll explore in the next section. Self-discovery is not simply a thing you do, it's an ongoing process. You don't wake up one morning and realize you have self-knowledge or are self-actualized.

Some Steps to Start Your Self-Discovery Journey

To get started on a journey of self-discovery, there are some steps you can take. These steps can look different for different people and at different stages of your personal growth journey. Here are some of the best tips for the process of self-discovery.

Decide What Your Ideal Self Looks Like

The first step is to do some self-reflection. Evaluate what the ideal you looks like. We don't often take the time to focus on what is valuable and meaningful to ourselves personally. What are your core values? Honesty? Creativity? Compassion? Create a picture of the ideal self.

Self-reflection not only moves you along on your journey to explore your inner self, but it can be a meditative process that is worth indulging in on its own merits. When you have a better sense of what you need, you can more easily build the foundations for things like relaxation, stress management, and improved relationships.

Learn to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

An excellent way to dive into the self-discovery process is to explore things that interest you. And this may not always be the easiest thing to do. Sometimes personal growth is achieved by challenging yourself by taking up new hobbies and interests. Learn a new language, visit a city by yourself, join a local theater group. By branching out into areas that intrigue you, you can push against your limitations and come to a deeper understanding of your authentic self.

Focus on the Things You're Passionate About

Exploring passions can help give your life meaning. Finding those passions is a part of the self-discovery process. For one person, a passion can be philanthropy, while another might find meaning in a fulfilling career path. Still another may find their passion in performance, or in spending time in nature. Making time for self-reflection on what is important to you can help you live a more fulfilling life.

Ask Yourself Some Self-Discovery Questions

Self-questioning is a big part of starting your own journey of self-discovery. Some questions that you can ask yourself to facilitate self-awareness include:

• What is it about my passions that I enjoy?
• What drives me in my personal life?
• Is there anything missing in my life?
• How can I better explore my values?
• What are unique skills that I have and how can I best use them?
• How can I apply my core principles to different aspects of my personal and professional life?

Journaling as a Path Toward Self-Discovery

Journaling can be helpful when it comes to the process of self-discovery. In itself a stress management technique, it is also worth exploring to get rid of negative thoughts, become more self-aware, and improve overall well-being. The self-questioning referred to earlier can also be done in journaling form. Here are some journal prompts for self-reflection:

• What are your strengths in relationships?
• Do you envision yourself in your current job in 10 years?
• What do you love best about your true self? What, if anything, would you like to change?
• What are three things that you wish others knew about your authentic self?
• What are your coping strategies to work through stress? Are these strategies healthy?

Work With a Therapist

What is self-discovery? A therapist can help you answer this question using years of expertise in the area of the self-discovery process. These mental health professionals are adept at guiding their clients to self-awareness using evidence-based practices for self-reflection and self-exploration.

Self-discovery is not always a journey that you need to take on your own. In fact, years of negative thought patterns and untrue beliefs can mask your inner self from yourself. Having a professional guide you through self-discovery and self-reflection may be a more effective way to understand your inner world and help bring you to a place of greater personal fulfillment.

What is Self-Discovery in Austin, TX

Self-discovery is a journey that you can take alone but is often better with a bit of professional guidance. If you have been thinking of moving forward in the self-discovery process, consider working with a licensed mental health therapist .

At Williamsburg Therapy Group , our team of licensed professional Austin psychologists offers evidence-based therapeutic practices that can help you identify your core principles, recognize what you need, and discover your full potential.

Give us a call today and our patient coordinator will help you find the right therapist to facilitate your self-discovery journey and become more self-aware. This knowledge can help improve relationships, solidify your values and beliefs, and help you start living as your best self. 

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10 self-discovery techniques to help you find yourself

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What is self-discovery?

10 self-discovery techniques, what drives a self-discovery journey, 8 questions to ask yourself in your self-discovery journey, 4 stages of the self-discovery process, 7 tips to accept yourself, the bottom line.

You may have tried some self-discovery techniques over the years. Maybe you felt down about your job so you spent time journaling, or unsure about your career path so you tried a new hobby. We all question who we truly are at some point on our journey. 

In the past, however, you may have gotten distracted and forgotten to continue the process of self-discovery. Life gets busy, and we can lose our authentic selves when we get caught up in jobs we aren’t passionate about or relationships that aren’t good for us. 

But why does self-discovery matter? Do you really need to take the time to try out self-discovery techniques? Well, research shows that being connected to your true self is directly linked to your sense of meaning in life . 

Feeling like your life has meaning can help you be happier, have a more successful career, and overall improve your well-being . 

Not to mention, getting in touch with your inner self will give you a better understanding of your life's purpose . But the process of self-discovery isn't easy. You’ll need focus, commitment, and a readiness to take action. 

Whether you’re happy in your career or completely lost in life, there’s no bad time to try out some self-discovery techniques. We can all benefit from a greater connection to our true selves. Let’s dive into what self-discovery is and how you can get started.

Self-discovery is the process of learning more about who you are so that you can better recognize and understand your authentic self . You might already know what your core values are and your general likes and dislikes. Self-discovery goes much deeper than this, though. 

Self-knowledge is crucial to understanding and regulating your emotions, personality traits, and behaviors . It gives you greater self-awareness , the ability to set better goals, and the potential to achieve more personal growth.

Self-discovery is important because it allows us to look at our lives and determine what's missing.

Are you satisfied with your career ? Do you want to change your lifestyle? How are your physical health and wellness? What about mental wellness? After identifying what's missing, you can take steps toward filling the gaps. 

Knowing yourself also means you can be more mindful about setting goals that are right for you . You won’t need to rely on extrinsic motivation to move toward goals that reflect your personal values . As a result, you'll be more likely to achieve them.

Self-discovery is an ongoing process. You won’t find your sense of self scrolling through social media or buying new clothes. Your journey of self-discovery will test your resilience and strength. It will also be inspiring, meaningful, and an excellent opportunity to grow. 

Maybe you have already decided to gain some self-knowledge, but you don't know where to begin. Here's the thing: there’s no correct way to go about this journey. It's yours. If you find a technique that works for you but not others, it doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.

Still, some self-discovery techniques might help you get in touch with your values and desires. Here are 10 self-discovery ideas for you to try:

• Spend time visualizing your ideal self and lifestyle 
• Think about your passions, interests, and dreams
• Get out of your comfort zone and try new things
• Consider each of your skills , no matter how big or small they are
• Reflect on what you admire the most about yourself
• Journal your experiences , life changes, and thoughts
• Talk with a life coach to strategize your next moves
• Listen to podcasts or read books about other people's journeys to inspire yourself
• Strengthen your mental health and well-being
• Let go of other people's image and expectations of you and follow your internal compass

Your self-discovery journey doesn’t require you to reinvent yourself (unless you want to). You can simply desire to understand yourself better. Maybe you want to be more in control of your life or feel a sense of agency when planning your future .

You also surely want to feel like you can accomplish your goals . You don't need to prove anything to anyone else during your self-discovery journey.

But when you show yourself that you can achieve your goals, your self-esteem and self-confidence grow. Plus, increased self-awareness can help you better identify potential obstacles to your goals . 

A better understanding of yourself will also drive you to have healthier relationships . Increased self-awareness creates increased self-regulation.

This can help you communicate better with friends, family members, and coworkers. You’ll be able to offer sensible advice and honest opinions while regulating your emotions . 

If you need extra support during your self-discovery journey, consider working with BetterUp .  We can help you stay focused, learn new self-discovery skills, and keep you from losing sight of your goals.

To be our best selves and identify what's missing from our lives, we can always try asking ourselves some questions . This is an important self-discovery technique.

Nobody can do your self-exploration for you, so take a moment during your daily routine to pause and reflect. Get rid of distractions and get comfortable with your own thoughts.

Here are eight questions to ask yourself during the process of self-discovery:

• What do you fear the most in life and why?
• What lessons from your childhood have stuck with you to this day?
• Does the job you currently have to fulfill your needs and make you happy?
• What problems are you facing at the moment?
• Do you make rash or well-thought-out decisions?
• What's one thing you want to improve in your life, and how will you do that?
• What are your top three values in life?
• If you could do anything right now, what would you do?

Self-discovery is an ongoing process that doesn’t always feel the same. You’ll grow and change as you discover more about yourself. Your starting point will most likely feel nothing like the finish line. 

As you move throughout the process, you may experience different stages. Throughout each stage, remember to take care of yourself .

Here are the four stages of the self-discovery process and what you'll experience during each one of them:

• Self-awareness
• Awareness of interests
• Dreams and ambitions
• Career discovery

Let’s talk about each step of the process:

1. Self-awareness

This is when you realize your needs and acknowledge different personality traits, including your strengths and weaknesses. You could struggle with self-doubt  here , but you can overcome it with a bit of resilience.

Being honest about who you are and what you want is crucial. When have you made mistakes in the past? How did you react? Is there a pattern?

2. Awareness of interests

Take note of your interests. What are your hobbies, likes, and dislikes? Is there a common theme? Narrowing down your interests helps you both personally and professionally.

Maybe the best part of your day is when you start making dinner. Bonus points if you’re hosting a dinner party with all of your friends. Do you enjoy the social aspect? Is the kitchen your safe place? What does that tell you about yourself?

3. Dreams and ambitions

Make sure you put time for daydreaming in your schedule. You’ll do plenty of it during your self-discovery journey. There’s no limit on how many dreams you can have . Once you know what you’re passionate about and what it means to you, you can add more of it to your life. 

These don’t have to be career ambitions, either. You could register for a cooking class just for fun because you dream of being a better chef. Or you could plan a trip to a faraway country you’ve always wanted to visit. The sky’s the limit.

4. Career discovery

After all of your list-making and planning, you might want to make a job or career change . All the hard work you put into narrowing down your interests, dreams, and goals will lead you to your true self.

You might identify your calling or passion in life and choose to pursue it. Will you become a chef, or do you simply work in marketing and host a mean dinner party? 

Either way — congrats! You’ve gotten in touch with your authentic self and what makes you happy. Now it’s time to take action.

Accepting yourself is an important step towards self-discovery. It’s impossible to learn about yourself if you turn a blind eye to things you don’t like about yourself. If you’re struggling to see yourself for who you are, you’ll never be able to grow.

If you're struggling with self-acceptance , here are seven tips to help you have more self-love in your life:

• Include more positive self-talk throughout your day
• Love and embrace your weaknesses rather than try to hide them
• Take the challenging days as they come, but know that they won't last forever
• Understand that your lifelong relationship is with yourself
• Do things alone to get to know yourself better
• Accept the things you can't change about yourself and move forward
• Don't forget to laugh and find humor in your flaws

The journey of self-discovery can be overwhelming at times. Self-reflection requires you to talk about difficult things. If you need help, share your thoughts with your friends or family. 

If you're feeling stuck or unsure about what your next move should be, discussing it with another person can help. They can offer validation if you're pursuing all possible self-discovery techniques. Plus, they can cheer you on as you get to know yourself better. 

BetterUp is a supportive community that wants to see you accomplish your self-discovery goals. If you need extra support, try working with BetterUp to get the accountability and perspective you need to discover your true self.

Discover your authentic self

Kickstart your path to self-discovery and self-awareness. Our coaches can guide you to better understand yourself and your potential.

Maggie Wooll, MBA

Maggie Wooll is a researcher, author, and speaker focused on the evolving future of work. Formerly the lead researcher at the Deloitte Center for the Edge, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Maggie is passionate about creating better work and greater opportunities for all.

Finding the way back to you — 9 tips on how to find yourself

How to know yourself: tips for beginning your self-discovery journey, why take a gap year 12 reasons and planning tips, life purpose: the inspiration you need to find your drive, get to know yourself through the act of self-reflection, use the wheel of life® tool to achieve better balance, liminal spaces: what they are and how they work, tune in to the self discovery channel with 10 tips for finding yourself, how to reset your life in 10 ways, similar articles, the importance of knowing yourself: your key to fulfillment, the benefits of knowing yourself: why you should become your own best friend, 100 self-reflection questions to explore yourself, 50 self-discovery questions for getting to know the real you, reinventing yourself: 10 ways to realize your full potential, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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12 Techniques to Help You Start Your Journey to Self-Discovery

...because you’re so worth knowing.

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If so, take comfort in knowing that, just as self-love looks, feels, and unfolds in wildly different ways from one person to the next, so does the practice of learning about yourself. And while your journey might involve traveling across oceans or leaning into a spiritual practice like meditation , the quest for self-discovery isn’t as simple as collecting stamps on your passport or stretching across a yoga mat .

So if you’ve been thinking about pulling the lid off of your unmet dreams, desires, passions, strengths, and values, stay with us. We rounded up the experts and asked them to share their self-discovery rituals, techniques, and tools, along with some empowering ideas to keep in mind as you explore deeper realms of who you are and who you wish to become.

Start a morning journaling practice.

Julia Cameron, bestselling author of The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity , coined the now-famous ritual she calls “morning pages,” which is essentially three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing to be completed upon waking. “Morning pages are like sending a telegram to the universe that says, ‘This is what I like. This is what I don’t like. This is what I want more of. This is what I want less of,’” Cameron tells Oprah Daily.

Don’t put pressure on yourself to perform for the pages, though. Cameron emphasizes that they’re designed to access your curiosities. “This disciplined daily practice is private, sacred, and full of surprises. Many people begin to find themselves fascinating. This is because morning pages train you to see your own worthiness,” she says.

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Take an audit of your relationships.

Terri Cole, licensed psychotherapist and author of Boundary Bos s , suggests kicking off your self-discovery journey with a brave and honest inventory of your relationships—particularly the ones that might be draining or toxic .

“Ask yourself, Where do I feel resentful, unseen, or taken advantage of? Before you can more deeply know yourself, you absolutely must determine your boundaries with others . You need to become more discerning about who gets access to you. Because not everyone should,” she tells Oprah Daily.

Make a list of things that delight you.

“Make an ‘okay’ and a ‘not okay’ list. It might contain things that either enhance or hinder your sense of ease. These small shifts are important because they offer ways of showing yourself that you’re worthy of your own attention and consideration,” says Cole.

For example, you might decide that your home will feel more cozy and inviting if you fill it with softer light and scented candles . Or it could simply be a matter of deciding that you need to craft a thoughtful email to your boss about your lack of work-life balance.

“The idea is to stop doing anything that goes against your constitution. Making small adjustments will allow you to experience more comfort and peace in all areas of your life,” says Cole.

Lean into a daily spiritual practice like meditation or yoga.

Ryan Haddon , spiritual life coach and meditation teacher, says that engaging in a quiet spiritual practice helps you recognize that any negative thoughts you have, no matter how loud or persistent, don’t have to run the show.

“We have upwards of 30,000 unconscious thoughts a day, most of which are negative. By curating a spiritual practice like meditation or yoga, you’re able to choose uplifting thoughts, rather than be at the mercy of the negative ones that lead you into a downward spiral. That’s true empowerment because you realize you have influence over your own mental and spiritual states,” she says.

Have a thoughtful, loving conversation with your inner child.

No matter how long you live, there will always be a child inside you, tugging at your attention, hoping to be acknowledged and comforted. Cole says that revisiting your vault of childhood wishes and wounds is a key part of any self-discovery journey, though it’s the part that makes most people roll their eyes.

“It can be difficult, but I’ve observed that you have to go back to the scene of the crime in order to understand why you are the way you are and why you’re sensitive to certain things. The child inside of you needs to be heard so that you can give your adult self permission to stop hiding or doing whatever it is that may have kept you from fully knowing yourself,” says Cole.

Pay attention to what lights you up.

What have you fantasized about doing for so long that you never got around to doing? It could be skydiving, studying a foreign language , or launching a side-hustle designing business. Or following your inspirations might simply look like carving out time each day to indulge in the books, documentaries, and podcasts that captivate you, says Rachel Rodgers, CEO of Hello Seven and author of We Should All Be Millionaires ,

Whether it’s combing through your old bucket lists, banging around on a piano, or curling up with a cup of coffee and a rapturous novel, focus on what makes you feel the most alive, even if it's just for a few minutes a day.

Consider leaving your comfort zone.

One of the easiest decisions in the world is to stay where you are. Rodgers stresses that self-discovery happens only when you’re willing to step into the future that you can’t stop dreaming about.

“Sometimes we feel trapped by the space that exists in between who we’ve been and who we want to be. There might be something you want to explore or try, but you’re afraid to let go of what’s familiar. If something is calling you, whether it's an adventure, a life change, or a new business idea, listen,” says Rodgers.

Know that when you get excited about your own growth and self-discovery, everyone wins.

If you aren’t acting from a place of authentic joy and fulfillment (when that's possible, at least), no one in your life will ever link arms with the best of you. So, attempt to prioritize yourself—we know, it's easier said than done—because if you want to serve the world, you’ve got to start by standing tall in your truth.

“I recommend that everyone sit down and brainstorm about 25 ways that they, their loved ones, and their community will benefit when they start prioritizing their needs and desires. Then read, reread, and add to the list often."

Of course, there are stages with every self-discovery journey, and some are more pleasant than others.

Over the years, Cameron has observed some interesting stages as readers move through her Artist’s Way program. In the beginning, there’s often a feeling of elation, quickly followed by a stretch of anger upon realizing the ways they may have settled in their life. Next comes a period of bargaining, which is then followed by the peaceful acceptance of one’s newfound evolution. And, finally, if one persists through the disorienting stages, there comes expansion, which Cameron says is the beautiful realization that it’s safe to take risks and reach for higher realms of fulfillment.

“Years ago, I taught these workshops where the rooms had these low-hanging styrofoam ceilings. You’d enter the space and think, Oh, wow, the ceiling is quite low. But then you realized you could tap it and move it to the side and see that there was actually 10 more feet of space above it. This is sort of how I see self-discovery. We often go through life thinking we’re a certain height—creatively, intellectually, spiritually. But as you start to tap the ceiling, you’re revealed to be so much more than you ever imagined,” says Cameron.

Remember that this journey is about you, and that you’re the one in control.

Deep exploration often invites big revelations. You might suddenly feel a flicker of desire to live a life that’s more adventurous and colorful, or to feel more seen and understood in your relationships. Or, perhaps, you might realize that you feel like you’re a hostage to a career or a lifestyle. The process can be intense and overwhelming, and you might feel pressured to act upon those epiphanies with haste. If so, Cole says it’s critical to remember that you don't have to burn the village down, so to speak. In fact, much of self-discovery and personal transformation can happen with a whisper.

“Don’t fear the personal inventories and discoveries, because you don’t have to change or blow up anything right away. The process can be gentle, and can simply look like getting honest with yourself about the things that feel right and the things that don’t. You can even stay in a situation, if you choose, but you’ll be doing it mindfully. And that’s the root of all self-discovery,” she says.

Embrace the ongoing process of your personal evolution.

While it’s tempting to view self-discovery as some shining destination on high, that’s not reality. Self-discovery is more of an ongoing pilgrimage that we make throughout our lives—sometimes one that’s jagged and lopsided, with unexpected stops, disorienting detours, and restarts.

Rodgers says we should give ourselves grace and freedom to revise our needs as the seasons change and the years pass. “Never stop discovering new levels of who you are and what you want. Constantly reevaluate your schedule, your priorities, and your life,” she says.

Coles believes that, in essence, self-discovery is the audacious act of choosing to no longer be driven by the wounds of the past, and deciding to become increasingly self-aware and self-determined. It’s about seeking the progressive realization of your own happiness, and discovering that the only life you can ever truly save is your own.

“Knowledge is power, but self-knowledge is the most powerful. This whole journey is one long, beautiful inquiry—an inquiry about knowing you,” says Cole. “And, I promise you, whatever that entails, you are so worth knowing.”

Lacey Johnson is a writer and editor whose has contributed to Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Woman’s Day, POPSUGAR and others, and is the founder of The Wonder Report. She feels most at home in airports, and is a radical seeker of engrossing conversation. Also a coffee connoisseur.

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Self-Discovery Journey: A Step by Step Guide to Finding Self

By   Claire

December 20, 2019

It’s becoming increasingly common to hear modern life described as distracted, disconnected, and frustrated. When you look at your own family, community, and profession – not to mention culture, politics, and the economy in the grand scheme of things – it can be hard to argue with those assessments. Yet, some people seem to move through it calmly and contentedly as if it doesn’t affect them at all.

how to embark on a journey of self-discovery?  Before embarking, you must remember that everyone’s journey is different but there are techniques that can guide your journey and fundamental elements that will help you measure your progress.   A journey of self-discovery will help you understand your dreams, set goals that will enrich your life, pursue them with joy and passion, and, ultimately, become your best self.

If your life doesn’t give you the option of disconnecting and escaping to an exotic land to study at the feet of a guru or a sage, does that mean that you can’t embark on a journey of self-discovery? Not at all!

In fact, all of the important work that will help you make progress on your journey can be done wherever you are.

In most cases, the practices that will give you the most value won’t cost anything more than time and effort.

Why Is Self-Discovery Important?

Self-discovery  helps us identify and embrace our authentic self—the essential self is a combination of values, talents, and desires.

Only when our activities produce results that align with our essential self will they deliver true joy, peace, and understanding.

Only when we know true joy, peace, and understanding will we be able to exist within the world at the same time that we escape its pressures, distractions, and distortions.

Self-discovery can improve our relationships, our careers, and our physical and emotional health.

“If you don’t participate in self-discovery, your goals, core beliefs, and values will be dictated” to you rather than coming from and returning to your essential self.

If self-discovery was an easy journey, then every person we encounter would radiate the joy, peace, and understanding of their essential self.

The truth is that it takes concentrated effort, patience, and persistence to accomplish self-knowledge. The biggest challenge in pursuing self-discovery is being completely honest with ourselves—including the wounds of our past, our personal shortcomings, and our fears about the future.

So then, the journey will be hard, and it will take time, but, in the end, you will find that all of your efforts pay off in value that cannot be measured in dollars and cents.

To help you maintain your focus and commitment to the process, this article will offer you some techniques to use and some steps that will break the task up into manageable challenges.

Step #1. Know Your Dreams

It’s hard to imagine a life that is joyful, peaceful, and positive at the same time that it is lived in the pursuit of dreams that don’t resonate with that the essential self.

If financial riches are a dream that someone else had for you, and you pursue that dream, even with great success, you’re unlikely to find the kind of joy that you would experience from modest progress toward a goal that connects with your true self.  

For that reason, it’s important to know and understand your dreams before progressing any further on your journey of self-discovery.

Step #2. Set Goals That Will Enrich Your Life

Only when you have invested the time to understand what it is that you truly desire for yourself, those close to you, and the broader world around you will you be able to identify goals that will actually serve those desires.

Asking yourself the kind of questions that help to identify what is holding you back and what has the potential to energize your pursuits is the key to aligning your desires with your practices and your visions.

Goals can serve us powerfully both as ends in themselves and as a means to the greater ends of a life well-lived in service to the self, to loved ones, and to the planet.

Step #3. Pursue Dreams with Joy & Passion

If knowing your dreams supplies the “why” and setting goals provides a “what,” you will still need to address the question of “how.”

It is important to pursue your dreams with the kind of relentless drive that cannot be knocked off course by distractions or completely undone by frustration or confusion.

Cultivating a set of daily habits that will establish a baseline for each day is important to the consistency that pursuing your dreams will require.

Daily habits that enrich the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the self are crucial to sustaining yourself through the long-journey toward self-knowledge.

Step #4. Become Your Best Self

Once you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, what you are pursuing, and how you are working to get there, you can begin to answer the questions of “who” and “where.”

Being able to answer the question of “who” you are is only possible in relation to the dreams, goals, joys, and passions that align with your truest self.

As you will come to understand through progress on your journey of self-discovery, the question of “who” is closely related to the question of “where.”

There is a mantra in Sanskrit that helps bring this relationship into focus: “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am the universe).

Next, let’s go dive into more details into each of the steps. I will break down each of the 4 steps and share with you in-depth techniques regarding how to achieve them.

Step #1: Know Your Dreams

What truly makes you happy? What activities bring out the best in you and invigorate your life? What results bring you true joy and provide a sense of accomplishment that resonates with your essential self?

These are difficult questions to answer if you cannot see yourself clearly because your vision is obscured by the influence of others, if you lack a clear understanding of your core values and beliefs, or if you’re uncomfortable acknowledging your desires and pursuing them with passion.

The four steps that we outline below will help you strip away the distractions and distortions that obscure your dreams from you, define your dreams in relation to your most cherished beliefs, and align your desires with your actions.

Tech #1: Differentiate Yourself from Your Past

The influence of authority figures when we are young is an important part of the socialization process. At the same time, when adults try to raise us to be good people, they are doing so from a perspective that is biased by their own understanding of what makes a person a “good person.”

If their understanding of what makes a good person differs from the elements at the core of your essential self, all of the advice they have given you is standing in the way of your reaching a more powerful connecting with your own motivations.

Tech #2: Define Yourself by Your Values

Once you have cleared away the goals, visions, and values that you’ve inherited from others or had imposed upon you by external sources, you are free to embrace the values that define who you truly are.

This cannot be an abstract process. Almost everyone would say that they value loyalty.

Abstract values are at-best placeholders for your actual values in practice in response to a specific context and a particular challenge. This is one of the reasons that self-discovery is a difficult and ongoing journey.

Each time you have to choose to be true to your values, you also have to decide how to enact that value. That is what truly defines that value in its most particular and true meaning for you.

Tech #3: Let Your Desires Shape Your Future

Some of us grow up in environments where we’re taught, either implicitly or explicitly, that it is wrong or selfish to pursue the things that we want.

All we can see in response to that principle is that we recognize the existence of differences in both motives and actions.

Based on that, we have no problem saying that the pursuit of a selfish desire is probably a selfish act, while the pursuit of a pure desire in likely to be a pure act.

When you recognize that it isn’t desire itself that is wrong but that many of us desire things that we should not, you free yourself from the ethical dilemmas of wanting and pursuing the things that resonate with your essential self.

Tech #4: Meditate: Letting Go, Healing, Empowerment

For each step of the journey of self-discovery, there are certain key concepts that we should allow to guide our meditations. The first step is to know your dreams.

This step features work that requires us to engage reflectively and introspectively with who we have been and why we’ve been that way.

As you move through this step in the process, it will be helpful to meditate on topics related to letting go, healing, and empowerment.

Like all of the activities that we discuss in this article, meditation is easy to fake. There is no value to “doing” any of the things that we discuss in this article if you don’t do them with your full attention.

Nobody else will reward you for progress toward self-knowledge, so there’s no point in faking your way through it.

Only by being fully present and doing the work until you’ve accomplished the goal will you receive any of the benefits that the activity has to offer.

Step #2: Set Goals That Will Enrich Your Life

Will material possessions, social influence, and status really enrich your life?

These are the things that our society teaches us to value. As such, we come to expect that they are the things that the people around us value. This becomes a double-edged sword.

We come to understand that money and power are the things we should desire for ourselves, and we also learn that they are the things we must have if we want the respect and love of the people around us.

But we must ask ourselves whether any of these things are more important to us than true happiness.

Tech #1: Accept Your Limitations

The  Bhagavad Gita  teaches us that we must understand the limitations of our own control. While we have control over our own words and deeds, we do not have control over the consequences of those words and deeds.

Similarly, we do not have control over others. The first step in becoming empower is to accept the limitations of your power to influence the outcomes of your actions.

Once we understand our own limitations, it becomes easier to align our actions with the forces that are at work in the universe and recognize the abundance that flows from those forces and how that abundance can benefit us.

Tech #2: Understand What Abundance Means to You

If you are working hard but still feel like you’re getting nowhere, it could be that you are pursuing the wrong dreams and that even huge successes in your activities will leave you unfulfilled.

It could also be the case that you are failing to recognize the abundance that the universe is sending you as abundance that is meant for you. 

Setting personal goals  can help you see the bigger picture and understand how the flow of the universe is supporting your personal pursuits.

Tech #3: Invite Abundance into Your Life

When you have a plan and commit to the execution of that plan, you’re sending out signals to the universe.

If your planning and execution are aligned with your dreams then everything the universe sends to you will also be aligned with those dreams.

If you fail to set goals or set goals that aren’t aligned with your dreams, the universe will be sending you an abundance of resources that are misaligned with your essential self.

Take the time to understand  how to set goals  and the time that it takes to set good ones for yourself.

Tech #4: Meditate: Envisioning, Easing Urgencies, Abundance

The second step in your journey toward self-discovery is setting goals. This step requires you to identify goals that align with your dreams and make plans that you can follow to accomplish those goals.

As you move through the process of setting goals and making plans it will be helpful to meditate on concepts related to envisioning to help you see more clearly.

Another important concept to meditate on is the easing of urgency. This will help you open up to the realities of the balance between control and lack of control and how that balance relates to the execution of your plans.

A final concept to meditate on during this step is abundance. Abundance will be central to the work that you do in both the second and third steps of the journey that we are outlining here.

Step #3: Pursue Your Dreams with Joy & Passion

Why would anyone bother pursuing a dream if neither the dream itself or the activities they engaged in to pursue the dream brought them any joy?

We all know someone who has or who plans to work their entire life to save up for retirement.

Their plan is always something like this. Make money while I’m young and save it up for when I’m old. I’ll skip vacation days and experiences now so that I can have them when I retire.

We wonder if they’ve ever stopped to consider who they’ll be after 40 years of being miserable and exhausted every day.

Does the person that your plan turned you into seem the kind of person that you want to work your whole life for?

Tech #1: Daily Habits

There is a quote from the author Neil Gaiman that we’ve found particularly inspiring in our efforts to cultivate healthy habits that make more and more of our everyday existence conform to the goals and plans that we have to realize our dreams.

“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”

– Neil Gaiman

The reason we bring that quote up here is to remind you that what has worked for us may not work for you and that ultimately, the best measure of whether a habit is good is your own estimation of its worth.

• Yoga:  You don’t have to be very good at yoga for yoga to be very good for you. It is a low-impact exercise that improves flexibility. It also helps to center your emotional and spiritual aspects. Give yourself enough of a chance that you are able to get better over time. There are many types of yoga, and you can try more than one before you settle on a practice that works for you. You might find that you like practicing in solitude or that you prefer to go to a yoga studio to be a part of a community.
• Meditation:  We’ve already discussed the importance of meditation to the project of self-discovery at some length in this article. We recommend making it a part of your daily routine and incorporating it into your habits in whatever way will provide the most value to you. There are apps that you can download to your phone that will ease your transition into the practice of guided meditation. Once you become more accustomed to the practice, you will be able to decide how to sustain your practice in a way that’s right for you.
• Gratitude:  Simply taking the time to acknowledge all of the things in your life that you are grateful for can be a powerful source of resolution and persistence as you make your way through the long process of achieving self-knowledge. We recommend keeping a gratitude journal. Not only will this force you to devote time to gratitude each day, but studies suggest that the simple act of writing something down helps commit it to memory. In addition to those benefits, you’ll also be able to use the journal to look back on the progress that you’ve made.

• Diet:  What you put in your body can make a big difference in how you feel. It can be equally helpful to spend more time thinking about how you feel about the things you put in your body. It’s great to eat healthily, but are you eating food that is good for your community and the planet in the process? Are you using food, alcohol, or drugs to fill holes in your life?
• Exercise:  Marathon runners talk about the point in their run where the endorphins take over, and they find themselves in the zone. You don’t have to commit to a huge undertaking like a marathon to enjoy the benefits that daily exercise can have for your life. Elevating your heart rate for as little as a half-hour each day can have an amazing impact on both your physical and emotional well-being. ​ ​

Tech #2: Education & Enrichment

In addition to the daily habits that you cultivate on your journey to self-understanding, it is also important to take on larger projects from time to time.

While you fill your daily routine with beneficial habits, you can expand your reach and enrich your understanding by studying subject that are interesting to you or practicing skills that will improve your abilities in areas that will help you achieve the goals that you’ve set in relation to the dreams that you have for your essential self.

Tech #3: Family & Friends

So much of what we’ve discussed in this article focuses on your pursuit of self-understanding as an individual project made up of solitary practices and habits. But there is something inherently social about the pursuit of self-understanding.

It is a project that will help you become your best self, and being your best self is not only a gift that you give yourself but also a valuable gift that you offer your community and the wider world.

Rely on your family and friends for support if you can, but don’t let their lack of support become an excuse to give up the pursuit of your goals. Remember that what you are doing is a benefit to them as well.

Don’t let their failure to appreciate this frustrate you or distract you from pursuing your goals.

Tech #4: Meditate: Gratitude, Abundance, Commitments

The third step in your journey toward self-discovery is pursuing your goals with joy and passion. This step requires you to identify build good daily habits and identify beneficial projects that are bigger than your daily routines but smaller than the search for self-understanding.

As you move through these processes, it will be helpful to meditate on concepts related to gratitude, abundance, and commitments.

Step #4: Become Your Best Self

Ultimately, the only reason to invest the time and effort that it takes to achieve self-knowledge is to prepare yourself to be a better person. As a better person, you’ll be a better member of your community and a better citizen of the world.

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

– Nelson Mandela

At a certain point, you will realize that becoming a better person can only go so far without requiring you to do work that benefits others in order to continue your personal progress.

Sure, you’re making the world a better place simply by being a better person than you were before.

But there’s so much more than you can and should do, and doing those things will only reveal more about your self to you.

Tech #1: Practice Care of the Self

As you progress on your journey toward self-discovery, it is essential that you maintain or expand on the practices and habits that brought you to the point that you are at.

You’re never beyond the need for the benefits that these habits and practices introduce to your daily existence. You’re never too far along to backslide and lose ground.

Tech #2: Share Your Abundance

Humans are social animals. So, from a certain perspective, it’s impossible to know yourself except that you know yourself in relation to others.

If you want to make sure that you’re going to like the self that you’re getting to know, make that self the kind of self that helps others.

Tech #3: Reflect and Renew Your Commitments

It’s a long journey – the path that leads to self-discovery. Just because you’ve made progress doesn’t mean that you can’t backtrack and re-do work that you’ve already done. There’s no game clock, and there aren’t any referees.

No one is going the throw a penalty flag or call a foul. Use each new understanding that you achieve to illuminate your understanding of the work that you’ve done previously and the results that you got out of that work.

Tech #4: Meditate: Chakras, Flow, Gratitude

As you move through the fourth and final step of the journey that we’ve outlined for self-discovery, you will want to meditate on concepts like Chakra cleansing, flow, and gratitude.

Stay engaged in the process. Stay mindful of how much more there is for you to accomplish and how much you’re capable of if you remain committed to the process.

Whenever the universe presents you with an opportunity to benefit yourself by helping others, thank the universe and take advantage of the opportunity.

The journey of self-discovery is an intensely private and personal undertaking that you’ll have to work on with commitment and dedication even as you balance that process with all of the other demands that your life places on you and your time and your energy.

Hopefully, you’ve found our plan for taking the steps on this journey to be both informative and inspiring. Even if you still feel a little uncertain about whether you can do it, or what exactly you should do—you’ve got to start somewhere.

Remember, self-discovery means that nobody else can do it for you and that you won’t know what you need to know until you’ve figured it out for yourself.

Follow the steps that we’ve given you here, but remember that this journey is more about the results you experience than the steps that you take.

About the author

I created this site to share my knowledge of natural remedies and ingredients because I am a big believer in an organic lifestyle. Our body is strong enough to rid toxins and maintain a balanced ecosystem by itself as long as we treat it smartly. Note that I’m not just talking about food and exercises, I also aim to help you gain a healthy mindset – a mindset that will lead you to a positive and resilient life.

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How to start a self-discovery journey with 5 powerful questions.

Self-discovery is a lifelong journey of getting to know yourself more intimately and exploring all those parts with openness and candor.

It involves digging deep into your thoughts, secrets, desires, and wishes.

The journey of self-discovery might seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.  Just like embarking on something new, it will take time, diligence, patience, and courage.

It's worth the effort to get to know yourself on a deeper level because when you know who you truly are, you can live a life that feels more authentic, meaningful, and joyful.

You can start your self-discovery journey by answering 5 powerful questions in the following section.

5 POWERFUL QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ON YOUR SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNEY.

We all wear different hats.  You could be a parent, brother, father, and breadwinner all at once.  But those are just a small part of who you are.  Who are you without those titles?

If you don’t know what the answer is, that is okay.  Start with writing down what you love.  Don’t worry about what to write, just write anything that comes to mind.

Perhaps you like hanging out and talking to people, working in a group of like-minded people, or simply sitting down in a quiet corner while reading a book.

Next, write down what your skills & talents are.  A skill is something that you have honed, like a hobby, a craft, or a particular ability like communication or listening.  Your talent is a natural ability or aptitude for something, like art, music or sports.

Now, you are going to write down your deepest desires.  Is there something you always wanted to experience (e.g. traveling around the world or scuba diving), but couldn’t due to lack of resources such as time or money?

Finally, write down your strengths and weaknesses.  Identify what you think is your strength or weakness.

You may have even heard others point them out to you.  Keep in mind that a strength may be perceived as a weakness, like being quiet, but having great listening skills.  A weakness might be mistaken for strength, like wanting everything to be perfect.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE?

Change is inevitable, but can be hard.  It is a natural part of life and is essential to growing and evolving as a human being.

You might want to change a lot of things or just one thing in your life.  Change can be subtle, dramatic, physical, or internal.

A physical change can be as small as switching your hair color or as drastic as moving from one place to another.  For this part, you can use the answers from the previous question as a guide.

Some examples of internal change can be acquiring a new skill, wanting to quit something to be healthier, or learning a new way of thinking.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE?

There is usually a reason behind what it is you want to change.  Before you answer this question, give it some thought.

Are you changing because you want to please another person?  Will changing your behavior, thinking pattern, or physical appearance, serve your highest good?

Or do you want to change because you feel an internal incentive to do so?  Why you want to change may carry a deeper longing to change a behavior or pattern of thought that no longer serves you.  However, in the long run, this will give you more satisfaction than changing to appease someone else.

WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK?

Your journey of self-discovery is not an easy one.  There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want to face all parts of yourself, even the unpleasant ones.

Fear often holds people back from wanting to look within or change.  This is especially true when you are comfortable in your life right now.

On the flip side, familiarity can become a trap.  Even if the current situation is painful, one might choose to stay because it’s safer than the unknown.

Make a list of all your beliefs.  Then see if they are limiting you in some way.  Limiting beliefs about yourself can also hold you back from knowing who you truly are and living a life that you love.

Write down a list of your values .  They may be derived from your family, religion, or where you grew up.  Look within to check if they align with your intrinsic values (values that are not influenced by external sources).

If the values you absorbed externally clash with your internal values, they may be holding you back.  They may be embedded in your pattern of thinking and influence your decision-making.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD?

Now let’s pretend that anything you put your efforts into was 100% guaranteed to succeed.  You have all the time in the world and money is no object.  What would make you want to wake up with joy and gratitude in your heart?

Is there something that you always wanted to pursue?  Use your answers from the previous questions to help you formulate a plan to move forward in your self-discovery journey.

This exercise will give you motivation and inspiration on how you want your ideal life to look.  When you are through, your dreams will be transformed from abstract fantasies into palpable ideas.  It opens a window into how you would feel if you accomplished all the things you set out to do.

Now take a look at all your answers to the 5 self-discovery questions .  Did any of them surprise you?  This is just a starting point in your self-discovery journey.  What you do with these valuable pieces of knowledge is now up to you.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know all the answers to the questions as you go through them.  Knowing who you are takes time and effort.  But the rewards you reap will be invaluable to your personal growth and fulfillment.

Only you have the power to define who you are and bring real changes into your life.

WHAT IS A SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNEY?

Your self-discovery journey is a continuous process as you enter different stages of life.  Think back to when someone first asked what you wanted to be when you grew up.  You were probably a small child.

Without giving it a second thought, you may have responded with, an astronaut, or an actress, or a clown. These answers may seem completely far-fetched or silly now, but at the time, they were sincere.

There were no influences other than the fact that it seemed interesting and fun to you at that point in your life.  Somewhere down the line, you may have told yourself that you were not good enough or those careers were not financially viable, or someone criticized your dream.

But if you were honest with yourself, you may be secretly wondering, what if.  What if I had given it a shot?  What if I just ignored my parents, teachers, girlfriend, boyfriend, or society?  Where would I be right now?  Would I be happier?  Or filled with regret?

If you want to stop fantasizing, you have to embark on a journey of self-discovery.  I’m not telling you to quit your job tomorrow and join the circus.  You don’t have to go to that extreme, but it is worthwhile to take that first step and start asking yourself what you really want in life.

WHY IS SELF-DISCOVERY IMPORTANT?

Self-discovery is important so you know who you truly are.  It acts as your internal GPS while you navigate your way through life.  What do I mean by this?

At one point in my life, I felt lost.  I thought working and consuming more would help steer me back in the right path.  Instead, I just felt like a dog chasing its own tail.

What I did not know then, was my lack of self-awareness.  It took a very long time before I had the courage to start my own journey of self-discovery.  It wasn’t easy, but I learned so much along the way.

When you start your own journey of self-discovery, you’ll learn what really matters most to you in life.  The decisions you make will come from within rather than fear or popular opinion.

The life that you experience will be one you truly love, not what society dictates for you.  You will also be loved for who you are instead of what you do, how much money you make or what you can give to others.

THE BENEFITS OF A SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNEY.

Knowing yourself will feel like liberation.  Self-discovery is the key to unlock all the buried resources and treasures you’ve been hiding from yourself.

You’ll discover what you love, what your strengths are, your weaknesses, your core beliefs , your skills, your talents, and your values.

As you learn more about yourself, suppressed emotions may also surface.  If you find them difficult to deal with, take a break, meditate, write them down, talk to someone or seek professional help.  It is not weak to get support from others when you’re feeling vulnerable.

When you become more self-aware, you take responsibility for all the choices you made in life and anything else that comes your way.  This means lifting the weight of blame off your shoulders and empowering yourself so you no longer feel like a victim of your past.

Self-empowerment begets greater resilience, especially in the face of adversity and uncertainty of change.  When you know what you stand for, your feathers won’t be ruffled too much during challenging times.

This also means that you’ll learn to create healthy boundaries and say no with greater conviction.  You won’t make commitments that you’re not passionate about, so you’ll be left with more time to focus on what you love.

You will feel less compelled to seek validation from others, but rather, from your own principles and views. This doesn’t mean that you will become self-centered.  Instead, you’ll start to live a life that is more heart-centered.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNEY.

If you haven't answered all the questions, here are some tips to help your while you're on your journey of self-discovery.

Set aside some time and go slowly.  Go somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed.  You can answer one question per day to really give you time to think about your answers.

Or take a few days between each exercise, whichever is a more comfortable pace for you.

Make a note of thoughts, sensations, and feelings that come up when you answer your questions.

Finally, remember to be honest with yourself, but don't push yourself to answer the questions if you are finding them too difficult.

The next step of your self-discovery journey.

If you were able to answer all of the questions, congratulations! Be sure to read these helpful articles if you want to know yourself on a deeper level:

100 Self-discovery prompts to connect more deeply with yourself.

Self-discovery questions + printable pdf to know yourself on a deeper level.

9 ways to find your true identity and discover who you are.

How to know yourself better in 10 different ways.

Wishing you all the best on your self-discovery journey!

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Navigating the Journey of Self-Discovery

Embarking on a Journey of Self-Discovery

Have you ever considered what truly makes you tick? We each embark on our own unique journey through life, complete with highs and lows, successes and challenges. Yet, at the core of all our experiences lies the personal quest of self-discovery. This journey is about exploring who we are, understanding our desires, and figuring out our purpose.

The journey is not a linear path, nor is it a destination where one arrives. It’s a continuous process that can yield profound insights into our deepest values and beliefs, often leading to an enriching life filled with meaning and satisfaction.

Understanding the Importance of Self-Discovery

At its heart, self-discovery is about self-awareness. It’s asking the question, ‘Who am I?’ beyond your job title, responsibilities, or social status. The answer is not always clear or easy to find, but it is vital. Without self-awareness, you might find yourself on a path not truly aligned with your inner self.

Self-Awareness as the Foundation

Self-awareness lets you understand your strengths and weaknesses, your passions, and fears. It is the foundation for emotional intelligence, important for building strong relationships, achieving personal goals, and navigating life’s decisions. Knowing yourself allows you to live more authentically, and make choices that resonate with your personal values, leading to a more fulfilling life.

The Role of Values and Beliefs

Your values and beliefs shape your perception of the world. They influence your thoughts, actions, and reactions. Understanding what you value most can help steer your life in a direction that brings genuine happiness and satisfaction.

Starting Your Journey of Self-Discovery

The journey to self-discovery can start at any point in your life. It could be triggered by a significant event, or it can begin with the simple desire to know yourself better. Here are some steps you can take to start your journey:

• Reflect on Your Life: Take time to look back on your life experiences, accomplishments, and failures. Reflect on the lessons learned from each experience.
• Identify Your Passions: Ask yourself what you love to do, even if you weren’t getting paid for it. What activities bring you joy and make time fly by?
• Iron Out Your Goals: Set short-term and long-term goals. What do you want to achieve in different areas of your life?
• Embrace Change: Be open to change and willing to grow. Your journey is about evolution, not staying stagnant.

Journaling can be a powerful tool during this process. Writing down your thoughts can help to clarify them and give you a tangible record of your inner world.

The Power of Questions in Self-Discovery

Asking yourself probing questions can drive the discovery process deeply. Here are some you might ponder:

• What moments in my life have brought me the most happiness and fulfillment?
• What values do I hold that I would never compromise on?
• How do I define success for myself, apart from societal standards?
• What are the fears or beliefs holding me back from pursuing my passions?

Give yourself the space to answer these questions honestly. The answers might not come immediately or easily, but they will provide valuable insights into your true self.

The Role of Relationships in Self-Discovery

Our relationships often serve as mirrors reflecting parts of ourselves we might not see. Engaging in deep, meaningful conversations with friends, family, or mentors can reveal aspects of your personality and hidden strengths or beliefs. Listen to how others perceive you, not as an absolute truth, but as additional data to consider on your journey.

Overcoming Obstacles on the Trek to Self-Knowledge

Your journey of self-discovery will not be without challenges. It’s natural to encounter obstacles.

Fear of What You Might Find

The idea of uncovering aspects of ourselves that we may not like can be intimidating. Remember that self-discovery is a process of understanding and acceptance, not judgment. It allows you to work on areas you may want to improve.

Inner Resistance

Change can be hard, and the mind often resists it. Acknowledge the resistance but remind yourself of the benefits of self-understanding and personal growth.

External Pressures

Social expectations and other people’s opinions can sometimes derail your journey. Focus on what truly matters to you, rather than conforming to external standards.

Inspiration from Self-Help and Self-Development Resources

Books and other resources on self-help and self-development can offer guidance and support through your journey. For instance, the seminal book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey provides timeless principles that can help you understand and manage yourself better. The resources you find can serve as a compass, but remember that your journey is entirely your own.

Staying Committed to Your Journey

Consistency is key. Regular self-reflection and mindfulness practices like meditation can help maintain a strong connection with your inner self. Dedication to the journey, despite inevitable distractions, is crucial for continuous growth.

The Evolving Nature of Self-Discovery

Understand that self-discovery is a lifelong endeavor. Who you are can evolve with your experiences and the insights you gain. So the questions you ask yourself today might bring different answers 10 years from now, and that’s part of the beauty of being human.

Finishing Thoughts

Embarking on a journey of self-discovery invites us to explore the depths of our being, to seek a richer understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. It equips us with the knowledge to live with intention and make choices that resonate deeply with who we are. The path is not always easy, but the rewards are innumerable and personal growth is assured. So let’s step forward with curiosity, openness, and courage, knowing that with each step, we’re becoming more tuned with the essence of who we truly are.

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• Aug 21, 2023

10 Ways To Start Your Self-Discovery Journey

Written by: vivien roggero , executive contributor, executive contributors at brainz magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise..

Self-discovery is an intrinsic part of personal growth . It allows us to delve beyond the surface of our identities and explore the depths of our being. Our personalities, behaviors, and beliefs are not set in stone; they are continuously shaped and reshaped by our experiences and perceptions. Let's embark on this journey of self-discovery and uncover the richness that lies within us.

Exploring the concept of self-discovery

Self-discovery is an enriching voyage that sheds light on our authentic selves. This journey uncovers our hidden depths, revealing who we truly are beyond our conditioned identities. The path to self-discovery invites us to question, explore, and ultimately transcend the labels and expectations imposed on us by society.

Understanding the benefits of self-discovery

Embarking on a journey of self-discovery opens the door to personal growth, emotional healing, and self-transformation. As we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, we develop a clearer perception of our passions, aspirations, and purpose in life. Moreover, self-discovery nurtures self-acceptance, fostering a sense of peace and fulfillment within us.

I present to you 10 insightful steps to initiate your self-discovery journey. Each technique is rooted in introspection, self-examination, and heartfelt exploration. By integrating these steps into your routine, you can progressively peel back the layers of your identity and connect with your true essence.

Reflecting on your past

Understanding the role of past experiences in shaping your identity.

Our past experiences play a crucial role in shaping our identities. They influence our beliefs, behaviors, and emotional responses. Reflecting on these experiences can unearth deep-seated scripts that operate unconsciously, shaping our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us.

Journaling prompts to explore childhood memories

Journaling provides a safe space for introspection and self-expression. It enables us to delve into our childhood memories, explore pivotal moments, and dissect significant challenges. Journaling prompts can guide our exploration, helping us unearth our unconscious patterns and behaviors. Here are a few prompts to start with: what is your earliest memory? What events from your past do you often revisit in your mind?

Acknowledging patterns and behaviors that stem from past experiences

As we reflect on our past, we often discover patterns and behaviors that stem from our experiences. Recognizing these patterns is a significant step in our self-discovery journey. It allows us to understand why we behave in certain ways and provides insights into areas of our life that need healing and transformation.

Practicing mindfulness and self-awareness

Exploring mindfulness techniques for staying present.

Various mindfulness techniques can assist us in staying present and enhancing self-awareness. Practices such as deep breathing, body scans, and mindful observation focus our attention on the here and now, anchoring us in the present moment. These techniques not only ground us but also train our minds to become more focused, aware, and accepting.

Cultivating self-awareness through meditation and self-reflection

Meditation is a potent tool for cultivating self-awareness. It encourages us to introspect and observe our thoughts and emotions without judgment. Complementing meditation with regular self-reflection can greatly enhance our self-understanding, bringing us closer to our authentic selves. As we become more self-aware, we gain deeper insights into our actions, behaviors, and motivations, furthering our self-discovery journey.

Noticing your thoughts, emotions, and reactions without judgment

Self-discovery involves observing our thoughts, emotions, and reactions with openness and curiosity, free of judgment or criticism. As we become more mindful of our inner dialogue, we begin to identify recurring patterns and themes in our thought processes. This non-judgmental observation is a cornerstone of self-discovery, arousing self-compassion and leading to transformative personal insights.

Setting intentions and goals

Defining what you want to achieve through self-discovery.

The journey of self-discovery is fueled by our desire to understand ourselves better. It's essential to define what we hope to achieve through this process. Whether we aim to heal past wounds, understand our values, or discover our passions, having a clear objective guides our exploration and keeps us motivated on our journey.

Setting both short-term and long-term intentions

Setting intentions for personal growth is a dynamic process that involves short-term and long-term goals. Short-term intentions focus on immediate growth areas, providing momentum and instant gratification. Long-term intentions shape our overall journey, guiding our long-term growth and development.

Aligning your goals with your values and aspirations

Aligning your intentions and goals with your values and aspirations ensures that your self-discovery journey is authentic and fulfilling. These goals provide a roadmap for your exploration, highlighting areas of focus and growth. In alignment with your authentic self, these goals become potent motivators, fueling your journey with purpose and passion.

Exploring your passions and interests

Identifying hobbies, activities, and subjects that ignite your curiosity.

Your hobbies and interests reveal what genuinely excites and motivates you. Whether it's painting, hiking, reading, or dancing, these activities offer a window into your values, desires, and passions. Identifying and nurturing these interests can provide profound insights into your authentic self, guiding your self-discovery journey.

Trying new experiences and stepping out of your comfort zone

Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new experiences can play a pivotal role in self-discovery. Each new experience, though potentially daunting, offers an opportunity to learn more about yourself, your strengths, and your limitations. Embrace novelty, for it is in the unknown that we often discover the most about ourselves.

Recognizing how your passions can provide insights into your authentic self

Your passions are not merely activities you enjoy; they are reflections of your inner self. They can provide valuable insights into who you are and what makes you truly happy. Recognizing this connection can transform your perspective on self-discovery, turning it from a daunting journey into an exciting exploration of your passions and interests.

Seeking different perspectives

Engaging in meaningful conversations with diverse individuals.

Engaging in conversations with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences can offer rich insights. These interactions can illuminate different ways of thinking, challenge our existing beliefs, and inspire us to see the world from varied perspectives. Each conversation is an opportunity to learn and grow, making our self-discovery journey more comprehensive and insightful.

Reading books, articles, and listening to podcasts on personal development

Dive into books, articles, and podcasts that delve into personal development topics. These resources can provide you with wisdom and insights from experts, thought leaders, and individuals who have embarked on their self-discovery journeys. The lessons encapsulated in these resources can enhance your understanding and guide you on your self-discovery path.

Challenging your beliefs and expanding your worldview

Self-discovery is an invitation to challenge your beliefs and expand your worldview. It involves questioning and reevaluating your long-held assumptions, making way for new insights and perspectives. As you open your mind and challenge your beliefs, you pave the way for a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Embracing self-care and well-being

Prioritizing self-care routines that nourish your body and mind.

Develop self-care routines that nourish your body and mind. This could involve anything from regular exercise and healthy eating habits to mindfulness practices and engaging in activities you love. As you take care of your physical health, you also nurture your mental and emotional well-being, creating a strong foundation for your self-discovery journey.

Engaging in activities that promote relaxation and well-being

Find activities that help you relax and rejuvenate. This could be spending time in nature, practicing yoga, or indulging in a creative hobby. These activities foster relaxation and well-being, creating a balance in your life and promoting mental clarity crucial for self-discovery.

Recognizing the connection between self-care and self-discovery

Self-care and self-discovery are intrinsically connected. By taking care of yourself, you show respect and love for yourself, reinforcing your self-worth and boosting your self-esteem. This mutualistic relationship ensures that as you discover more about yourself, you continue to nurture and care for your ever-evolving identity.

Keeping a self-discovery journal

Starting a dedicated journal to document your self-discovery journey.

Kickstart your self-discovery journey by starting a dedicated journal. This journal serves as your personal space for exploration and reflection, allowing you to document your thoughts, feelings, and insights. As you journey through self-discovery, your journal becomes a testament to your growth, marking milestones and chronicling your transformation.

Writing about your thoughts, feelings, insights, and progress

Use your self-discovery journal to express your thoughts, feelings, insights, and progress. The act of writing down these experiences encourages introspection and enhances understanding. It allows you to delve deeper into your psyche and uncover patterns and perspectives that you may otherwise overlook.

Using journal prompts to delve deeper into various aspects of your identity

Journal prompts can be instrumental in unearthing different aspects of your identity. They provide a starting point for your introspection, guiding your thoughts and encouraging deeper exploration. Use prompts such as "What values are most important to me?", "What is my happiest memory?", or "What fears hold me back?" to stimulate reflection and discovery.

Seeking guidance and support

Exploring self-help books, workshops, and online resources.

Numerous self-help books, workshops, and online resources focus on self-discovery. These invaluable tools offer guidance, evidence-based techniques, and motivational anecdotes to enrich your self-discovery journey. Leverage these resources to deepen your understanding and navigate your journey more effectively.

Connecting with mentors, therapists, or coaches who specialize in self-discovery

Connecting with a mentor, therapist, or life coach who specializes in self-discovery can be immensely beneficial. These professionals bring their expertise and experience to guide you, provide feedback, and offer techniques to handle personal challenges. Their outside perspective can shed new light on your experiences, accelerating your self-discovery journey.

Building a supportive network of friends and like-minded individuals

Surround yourself with supportive friends and like-minded individuals who understand and respect your journey. This supportive network can provide encouragement, share their experiences, and offer fresh perspectives. As you navigate the waters of self-discovery, this support system becomes your anchor, providing stability and reassurance.

Embracing change and growth

Emphasizing the importance of embracing change and being open to growth.

Change is an undeniable part of self-discovery. As you learn more about yourself, your perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors may evolve. Embrace these changes as necessary stages in your journey. They denote growth and the shedding of outdated or unhelpful patterns, signifying progress in your journey.

Celebrating your progress, no matter how small, along the self-discovery journey

Celebrating your progress, regardless of its size, is a crucial component of self-discovery. Every insight gained, every negative pattern acknowledged, every positive habit developed is a victory. These victories, big or small, indicate your growth and deserve recognition and celebration.

Understanding that self-discovery is an ongoing process with no final destination

Remember, self-discovery is an ongoing process with no definitive endpoint. As you evolve, so does your understanding of yourself. Continue to explore, question, and learn with an open heart and mind. Welcome this continuous journey of self-discovery as a growth-centered approach to living, a path that leads to self-awareness, acceptance, and personal transformation.

Recap of the 10 Transformative Steps to Start Your Self-Discovery Journey.

We've journeyed together through ten transformative steps towards self-discovery: reflecting on your past, practicing mindfulness, setting clear goals, exploring your passions, seeking different perspectives, embracing self-care, maintaining a self-discovery journal, seeking guidance, and embracing change. Each step offers a unique path towards understanding and expressing your authentic self.

Encouragement to Embark on This Path of Personal Growth and Exploration.

Embarking on the journey of self-discovery is like opening the door to a new world – a world that existed within you all along, waiting to be explored. It can present challenges, but the rewards of this journey are incalculable: genuine freedom, a deeper connection with yourself, and a richer, more fulfilling life. As you traverse the path of self-discovery, remember that every step, every revelation, and even every challenge adds to the richness of your journey.

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Read more from Vivien!

Vivien Roggero, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Vivien Roggero is a certified Executive & Empowerment Coach and Entrepreneur. After 15 years of professional journey, expanding from Sales to IT Executive in some world-class startups’, losing his father to COVID, and going through a high-conflict divorce, he decided to dedicate his life to empowering people so they can live a fulfilling life. Those experiences also inspired him to create the One Freedom™ Framework, freedom and purpose-centric approach to life that helps his clients to accelerate their life design process and sculpt growth. His focus is to help clients who feel stuck in their professional or personal journeys or find struggles to re-navigate life after major life-changing events.

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3 Simple Steps to Launch Your Self-Discovery Journey

How often do you stop and think about what you want to do with your life? If you're like me, then you do it often. Understanding what you want to do with your life is less challenging when you focus on self-discovery—discovering who you are. While the journey of self-discovery is an ongoing process, meaning there is no final destination, there are some tactics you can use to start.

In this article, you'll learn of the three pillars of self-discovery from my forthcoming book, You Deserve This Sh!t: Flood Your Life With Consciousness, Step Into Your Power, and Become the Best Version of Yourself (get on the waitlist below with everyone else!). These are the pillars I developed and used to discover who I am and what I want in life. They can do the same for you, too.

What Is Self-discovery?

Self-discovery is a process of understanding your own character and becoming aware of your potential and motives.  It's not a journey to discover someone new, it’s a journey to break down the barriers within yourself to discover who your soul always knew you were.

If you discover yourself,  you’re able to tap into your passions, figure out your life’s purpose—the reason you get up in the morning—and learn what motivates you. Ultimately, discovering who you are and what you want to do allows you to unlock the best version of yourself.

Why Your Journey of Self-discovery Is Important

Without discovering yourself—understanding your purpose, passions, potential, and motives—you’ll never achieve something better than what you have now. You’ll choose to live a life inundated by unconsciousness and the pain that comes along with it. So, the ball is in your court, what are you going to choose?

Three Pillars of Self-discovery

One purpose of this article is to teach you the three pillars of self-discovery—awareness, comfort zones, and intentional living—you’ll need these tools for your journey. Learning about these pillars will help you discover who you are and aid you in the process of becoming the best version of yourself. When you discover who you are, you’ll be set free of taking the wrong paths in life.

1. Awareness

Do you take notice of all that’s happening around you, from significant to seemingly insignificant things? Or, do you let life pass in front of your eyes missing potential opportunities to capitalize on your growth?

Discovering and re-inventing yourself is a whole lot easier when you practice awareness and self-awareness. Awareness is the ability to recognize what’s happening around you. It lets you understand your character, feelings, and what inspires you.

Your awareness will help you begin to realize what moves you physically, emotionally, and mentally. It will most importantly allow you to see what you want to chase and follow. If we want to create change, if we want to design the trajectory of our life, we need to embrace our awareness. That starts now.

Tips to Master Your Awareness

•   Start to journal: Journaling is my bread and butter. If you're familiar with my work, you know this is one tool I hope to instill in other people. Journaling lets you uncover areas of your life you didn't know existed, help you become aware of your thoughts, and allows you to self-reflect, which is key to becoming the best version of yourself.
•   Look for the small things in life: Practicing mindfulness—the practice of being aware of something—is crucial when mastering your awareness. As you begin to take note of all the small things in life, you’ll begin to open a new door to your awareness and find ways to improve certain areas of your life. Sometimes those seemingly insignificant things can teach you a great deal about yourself and others around you.
•   Ask yourself honest (and hard) questions:  The right questions are ones that hurt to ask and also hurt to answer. Begin to ask yourself questions about your life, happiness, stress, grief, and actions. This can be a way to learn more about yourself, as it allows you to examine your own actions and motives in life.
•   Adapt to your surroundings:  As your awareness increases, you’ll start to realize that life may be urging you to move in a specific direction. Take notice of this and evolve with that urge. Don’t resist going where life is asking you to go. Most of the time we hit a growth ceiling because we are too weary of where life wants to take us and choose to remain the same. However, when we let go and adapt to our surroundings we can go to unimaginable places.
•   Practice meditation: Similar to journaling, meditation is another way to look inward and learn more about yourself. When we silence our minds, we're able to have profound realizations. We live in an age where you can find endless amounts of guided meditations on YouTube that range in length. That is where I started my mediation journey, and it's the perfect place for you too if you're looking to take this step in your life.

2. Comfort Zones

Your comfort zone is the place you feel most comfortable. It’s a stress-free zone where you know there will be no unexpected surprises or events. Although it’s in our nature to retreat to this zone, it shouldn’t be in our best interest. Exponential personal and professional growth typically happens by putting ourselves in unique situations that will challenge us to become better.

These situations likely never exist in our comfort zone. It may be difficult to understand at first, but it’s crucial to chase something unfamiliar that keeps you on your toes. Constant newness in your life will allow you to adapt to your surroundings and learn how to overcome difficult situations, ones that push you further along in your journey.

Whether you believe it or not, achieving any goal—even the goal of living comfortably—will require you to put yourself in some sort of uncomfortable situation or position. Everything in life begins to flourish outside our comfort zones. That’s where the magic happens

Tips to Become Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

• Build trust with yourself: You are your own biggest critic, which sometimes makes it challenging to live outside your comfort zone. You must build trust within yourself first. To do so, you need to fill your mind with positive self-talk. It’s as simple as that. Tell yourself “I can and I will.” Feed your brain the mental nutrition it needs to realize that you’re not only in control of your destiny, but you trust yourself to stand for uniqueness.
• Reject the normal:  Grasp the understanding that you need to live the life that you want and not how others think you should live. I’ve come to realize sometimes that in order to do that, you must reject what people perceive as “normal.” Don’t search for acceptance. Surround yourself with genuine people who support your journey, they will accept you for who you are.
• Give yourself permission to be the beginner: Don’t get me wrong, being a beginner is never an easy situation. But, you must realize that being a beginner is part of learning anything new. It’s integral to gaining the skills you need to take a craft, hobby, or passion to where you envision it to go. Give yourself permission to be a beginner and begin to understand that it’s in those moments you’ll learn skills that will help shape your path.
• Embrace your curiosity:  Curiosity is innate within all of us. However, it’s been trained out of us since a young age. As kids, we’re at a curious high—we explore everything and experiment with our environment. But as we get older, it’s looked down upon to try something new or different because you may fail. Forget about what society has made you believe. Embrace your inner child—your original or true self—and use your curiosity to your advantage. It changed my life, and it can change yours, too.
• Learn how to use failure to your advantage:  Up until now, you’ve probably seen failure as a negative. However, with a simple mindset shift, you can leverage failure and use it to help you grow. See it as an opportunity to learn a lesson that will help you get to your next stepping stone. Failure is your teammate if you’re willing to lean into it.

3. Intentional Living

Do you want to make impactful decisions in your life that revolve around your beliefs and values? If you answered yes, then choose to lead a life of intentional living.

Intentional living consists of making choices that keep you connected with your life values. Choosing to live intentionally is a decision, it’s a commitment, it’s a promise you need to make with yourself. The decisions you make on a daily basis define you now and will define your future. With that in mind, this means you’re able to choose a life that matters—one that you want to lead.

Living intentionally doesn’t need to be complicated. It will only become complicated if you make it so. Instead, let go of doing it perfectly, stop overthinking, and trust your gut. Make decisions that feel right, the ones that represent the person you want to be or become. You can do it, trust me.

Tips to Live an Intentional Life

• Form a routine: The easiest way to be in the driver seat of your day is to create a morning practice that gives you the keys. Morning routines can help improve your attitude, performance, and overall energy. So, why would you not have one? Be sure to create a morning routine that works for your goals and schedule.
• Embody positive thinking:  Your thoughts are energy. They cause change both internally and externally—your mind and your actions. Your mindset truly matters, and it can be a powerful aspect to unlocking the maximum version of your character.
• Consciously choose your life style:  Your choices and decisions can dictate your life’s path. If you want to chase a specific life or create change, you must take charge and create that world for yourself through a lifestyle developed by intentional choices. To do so, prepare to choose your lifestyle, remember the “why” behind your choice, evaluate the outcome, benefits, and repercussions, and always follow through with your choice.
• Aim to create good, intentional habits:  We all have our personal goals, whether they relate to your journey of self-discovery, or something else. However, to achieve these goals we must form habits—a system—that help us get to where we want to be. You can form new, intentional habits by asking the right questions about what habits are missing and what (negative) habits need to go, incorporating the new habit into your life, evaluating its future potential for your life, and letting the habit become second nature.
• Dream big, really big:  Anytime you create a vision for yourself, remember that your life will be as big as your aspirations—your dreams. Don’t be afraid to dream your wildest dreams, it’s these intentions that will take you to your highest potential. Don’t sell yourself short, aim high, and chase exactly what you want, regardless of how “impossible” it feels at first.

The Truth About Self-discovery

Now, I'm going to be honest because that's what any good friend would do. The journey of self-discovery does not have an ending, meaning discovering who you are is an ongoing process. I'm not saying you'll never discover your true self; however, there will always be more to learn and areas where you can dig deeper.

You will encounter different phases of your journey, and with each phase, you'll start to understand yourself more. Your journey of self-discovery will become the healthiest addiction in your life. Embrace the process because life becomes a whole lot more exciting when you're uncovering new parts of your soul.

Bottom Line

Self-discovery, or discovering who you were always meant to be, is an on-going process that begins by making a commitment to living the life you want to live. By using the three pillars of self-discovery—awareness, comfort zones, and intentional living—you can flood your life with consciousness, step into your power, and become the best version of yourself.

How are you going to start your journey of self-discovery? Let me know in the comments below.

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About the author.

Expand Your Mind & Choose Change

14 Powerful Self-Discovery Activities for Your Personal Journey

OVERVIEW : This comprehensive guide outlines the three stages of self-discovery as a developmental model, highlighting the common pitfalls along one’s journey and offering tools and methods for each stage.

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Know thyself— the famous aphorism from Ancient Greece.

No better phrase can capture the essence of self-discovery.

Let’s dive deeper into what this aphorism means …

What is Self-Discovery?  

Self-discovery is the process of learning about and finding oneself.

There are many different facets of this discovery process. In the earlier stages, you learn about   your personality type, what you value, your strengths, weaknesses, talents, dreams, shortcomings, aspirations, and interests.

In a later stage, self-discovery is about getting to know the parts of yourself that were “disowned” in childhood, commonly called the shadow.

The process of self-discovery is a continual movement from less conscious to more conscious, from less aware to greater awareness of oneself.

Similar to the hero’s journey motif, the self-discovery journey is the path toward mature adulthood.

Self-Discovery versus Self-Development

These two concepts are intrinsically linked together.  

On its own, self-discovery is simply about revealing what’s always there: who you are on a conscious level.

Self-development is about molding and growing in various areas, including physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually.

Can you engage in self-discovery without self-development? Only on a very cursory level. Why?

In the act of getting to know yourself, you’re placing your attention on various aspects of your being. In doing so, development will likely take place.

Although there’s a large self-improvement industry that promotes ways of “bettering oneself,” the reality is that development is a natural process .

Early childhood trauma and conditioning hinder that process, but once it’s initiated in adulthood, it tends to take on a life of its own.  

As such, self-development is an integral part of one’s self-discovery process.

What are the 3 Stages of Self-Discovery?

The common stages of self-discovery outlined here largely mirror the stages of human development from transpersonal psychology but in a very simplified format.

Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality)

Stage 2: Exploring Your Personal Unconscious (Shadow)

Stage 3: Returning Home (The Self)

First, we’ll examine each of these stages in more detail. Then, we’ll explore the self-discovery activities commonly used at each stage.

Before we dive into these three stages, let’s examine where we start: the persona.

Stage 0: Wearing Our Social Masks

In early development, we are mostly focused on adjusting to our environments and “fitting in” at home, school, and anywhere else we find ourselves.

Our identities at this stage are largely defined by “others” in a social context. That is, our identity is mostly a series of personas (social masks) designed to help us “fit in.”

When we’re in the persona stage we’re not technically in the self-discovery process yet.

We create our personae unconsciously and subconsciously. It’s the starting point from which self-discovery can be initiated.

Self-Discovery Stage 1: Discovering Our Conscious Personality

Stage 1 can be a fun stage for many individuals. It’s the part of self-discovery that many people associate with the term “self-discovery journey.”  

Stage 1 is marked by discovering one’s conscious personality including strengths, weaknesses, habitual patterns, drives, desires, and aspirations.

Self-discovery comes through our engagement with life. Like any good hero’s journey , life is filled with trials and tribulations. Setbacks and victories. Each experience provides a window into ourselves.

If we pay attention, we learn through our reactions and interactions with others and the world.

In this initial stage, we develop a strong curiosity about ourselves. It’s common at this stage to take a wide range of assessments.

Learning about your “personality type” is highly instructive: it highlights many of your greatest strengths and mortal weaknesses. It illuminates common behavior patterns that you may not have noticed.

You’ll discover a myriad of patterns that you spontaneously engage in without knowing why.   At this stage, you’re also likely to inquire about your core values to clarify what you stand for and what’s most important to you.

You might take up journalling, and begin capturing your big life goals, dreams, and even a vision for yourself.

This stage usually goes on for many years. In fact, many individuals never move beyond this initial stage of self-discovery.

Self-Discovery Stage 2:   Exploring Our Personal Unconscious  

The second stage of self-discovery brings you toward your inner world where the meaning of “self-discovery” vastly changes.

Stage 2 often begins either at midlife or after a major life event that rattles you to the core. This event could be a divorce, the death of someone close to you, physical illness, or some other crisis.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung often said this inward turn should happen at midlife: after you’ve built a healthy ego in the world (career, home, family, etc.). That is, the first half of life is meant to be more externally oriented while the second half is internal.  

In tribal cultures, at midlife, members of the tribe would go on extensive walkabouts or vision quests. They returned as different people, now taking up a more shamanic-type role as ritual elders of their tribe.

For us, this inward turn is more about engaging in inner work , addressing our childhood trauma, exploring our dream world, and getting to know our shadows . Here, internal observation, self-awareness , reflection, self-analysis, understanding, sensitivity, and inner honesty are required.

In stage 2 of self-discovery, we address our deep-seated internal tensions and splits within our psyche.

The self-identity that we created for ourselves in stage 1 becomes less codified and more fluid. As we move toward psychological integration, that self-identity moves further into the background.

This stage will also last many years depending on your life circumstances. For example, if you’re in midlife and still very active in the world, there may be less time available for self-reflection and inner discovery.  

Self-Discovery Stage 3: Returning Home of the Self

In the third stage of self-discovery, an individual returns home to their Self (capital “S”).

The meaning of “self” changes greatly at this stage. The self in “self-discovery” when we set out on our path was our conscious personality. It starts to become a distant memory at this later stage.

This stage is marked by transcending an exclusive identification with the self (small “s”) and realizing one’s true Self (self-realization).

The ego we developed in the prior stages now must take a back seat so that the original Self can return.

In The Ego and the Dynamic Ground , professor of philosophy Michael Washburn called it “regression in the service of transcendence.” 

This stage requires us to strip away everything we are not so that our Original Nature can take its rightful place in the Center.  

In Taoist philosophy, they make a distinction between the conscious spirit and the Original Spirit.

The conscious spirit (ego or “acquired mind”) is what we develop in stage 1. This self-identity is a set of conditioning from the external world.

In contrast, the Original Spirit is our primordial Self that is unconditioned by the insanity of this world.

At this stage, the focus is on self-inquiry, self-observation, neutrality, stabilizing the mind, and moving toward inner stillness.  

In transpersonal psychology, they often call this stage integration . Maslow called it self-transcendence . Jung referred to it as wholeness —the final stage of individuation .  

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Now, let’s review a series of self-discovery activities and exercises you might use at each stage of your personal discovery journey.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 1

Here are seven self-discovery activities and exercises you can use for Stage 1 of your journey:

Myers-Brigg Personal Assessment (Common Self-Discovery Activity)

Personality Assessments

Personality assessments are one of the most common self-discovery activities most people use.

Any quality personality assessment will reveal different aspects of your personality. They can be very insightful—especially when you’re in the beginning stages of self-discovery. Three popular ones include:

• The Enneagram
• Human Design Engineering
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

(Just do a quick search. There are many paid and free versions online.)

Values Assessment

Getting to know your core values is an essential self-discovery activity. Self-aware individuals tend to know what’s most important to them. Knowing your core values helps you make better decisions.

If you don’t know your values yet, you can go through my popular 7-Step Values Assessment .

Strengths Assessment

Getting clarity on your strengths and weaknesses is another excellent self-discovery activity..

While we learn our natural strengths and weaknesses by observing our life experiences, the VIA Character Institute offers a free survey to help you determine your strengths right away.

See my guide on authentic happiness for a primer on this topic from positive psychology.

Personal Vision Casting

A personal vision can help guide you through your self-discovery journey. It helps clarify what’s most important to you.

A compelling vision can also help you remove distractions and stay focused on your long-term self-development goals.

Get step-by-step instructions on how to craft your vision statement .

Wheel of Life Assessment

As you begin to flush out who you are and what you stand for, you’ll likely determine specific goals you have for self-development. It’s important to understand that we all have multiple lines of intelligence and areas of focus.

The Wheel of Life assessment is a good coaching tool to clarify your self-development goals for different areas of your life.

Active Journaling

Journalling can be a powerful aid in this stage and the next. A journal can be used to capture your dreams, ambitions, life lessons, and insights on the written page.

Self-Development Plan

Some individuals prefer to have more structure to help them proceed with their discovery process and self-development.

Creating even just a basic self-development plan with the data you gather above can help you reduce distractions and stay focused on your long-term objectives.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 2

What’s strange about Stage 2 is that it can seem like we’re going backward.

While we’re building our personalities and moving toward a vision in stage 1, in this stage, we need to take a step back and explore our past.

Getting to know our past is absolutely essential for deeper levels of self-discovery.

As such, the energetic striving we experienced in Stage 1 now gets replaced by a more self-reflective mind. We now have enough life experience behind us to observe major patterns that we couldn’t see before.

The self-discovery activities in Stage 2 different greatly from Stage 1. Overall, Stage 2 is less about tools and assessments and more about methods and exercises that support one’s inward discovery journey.

Observational Meditation

Many individuals will likely discover meditation in the first stage of their journey. However, the quality and function of meditation take on a different meaning in Stage 2.

Your journey through Stage 2 benefits from a reflective mind and a strong Inner Observer . To gain insight into one’s psyche, it helps to be able to carefully monitor one’s deepest thoughts, feelings, reactions, attitudes, moods, and impulses.

For some, developing this Inner Observer happens naturally. For others, it takes meditative training .

Shadow Work

One of the most remarkable aspects of Stage 2 is that you eventually realize that everything you built up in Stage 1 isn’t entirely accurate.

All prior personality growth and self-development were based on a sense of self (ego construct) that was never closely examined.

To function in the world in early life, we necessarily cut off and dissociate many parts of ourselves that get relegated to our personal unconscious. This creates a split in our psyche that leads to internal tension. This internal tension is the source of our moodiness, emotional instability, neurotic behaviors, and dis-ease .

Think of it like renovating an old house with lead paint. Sure you can paint over the lead with a new “eco-friendly” paint and add new furnishings, but you still have a house with lead paint.

When you reach the Inward Turn, you begin examining what’s been cut off and hidden inside of you.

Every aspect of yourself that was deemed “unacceptable” during childhood was relegated to your personal unconscious. Now, it’s time to bring the unconscious to consciousness. Shadow work becomes an indispensable self-discovery activity at this stage.

See my guide on shadow work here .

Inner Work (Active Imagination & Dream Analysis)

Getting to know your shadow is an integral part of inner work. Inner work is more of a general term for turning inward and examining aspects of one’s unconscious.

Jung used two primary methods for helping his patients harmonize the split within their psyche: dream analysis and active imagination.

Jung saw dreams as a primary means for the unconscious to speak to us—to our conscious minds. So by paying attention to our dreams, we bring to consciousness aspects of ourselves currently hidden from us.

Active imagination is another excellent self-discovery activity. It’s the process of inner dialogue with “parts” within our psyche.

The psyche is filled with a collection of semi-autonomous archetypes that constantly influence our behavior.

In the second stage of our self-discovery process, it becomes necessary to dialogue with or at least become conscious of these various subpersonalities operating within our psyche.

Trauma Release Exercises

In the course of exploring our past, we encounter numerous psychic wounds that need our attention.

Trauma plays a large role in our early development. Addressing this trauma is a necessary aspect of becoming whole.

While mental processes are useful, we also need to address the body directly where this past trauma is stored. (See Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score .)

I cover the topic of trauma more deeply in this guide on repressed emotions .

There are a range of methods available to use from David Berceli’s Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) to Alexander Lowen’s Bioenergetic Analysis. All of these self-discovery activities can be highly therapeutic at this stage.

Regardless of the modalities you use for your journey, the key thing is that you release this stored trauma and build a stronger connection to your physical body. This is called body-mind integration. In No Boundary (2001), integral theorist Ken Wilber labeled it the Centaur Level .

Cultivating deeper levels of body awareness is an important, often overlooked, part of one’s journey to self-discovery and healing.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 3

In Stage 2, we put our house in order. The more we harmonize the opposites within us, the more internal tension we resolve. We move, slowly and patiently, from fragmentation to greater wholeness.

As this unfolds, we can hold to the Center with greater ease.

From the Center,  there’s no need to strive to become anything. Even the growth need of self-actualization begins to take a back seat.

The ego we’ve developed through the first two stages doesn’t go anywhere. But a different quality emerges from the Center. One’s true Self comes forth and gently guides us.

This stage takes us beyond Western psychology and into the realm of mysticism and sagehood .

This third stage is less about self-discovery activities and more about stabilizing one’s mind. Self-inquiry and the closer examination of one’s consciousness become more than just a daily sitting practice, but a continuous way of being.

Becoming versus Being

In the first stage of self-discovery, we’re in the process of becoming . The self-discovery activities above aid us in this developmental process.

Self-development and personal growth are integral to this stage as we do our best to cultivate healthy egos that can thrive in this crazy, chaotic world.

In developing our personalities, we are, as psychologist Abraham Maslow put it, actualizing our potential .

Some of us do this through our careers and vocations. Others do it through cultivating skills and various intelligences out of personal interest.

Eventually, however, there’s a shift in quality in one’s process of self-discovery.

The drive to “become” moves into the background while a quality of beingness wants to emerge. This represents the shift inward that marks stage 2 and reaches fruition in stage 3.

Self-Discovery Through the Three Gunas

In Yogic philosophy, they have what’s called the three gunas or qualities of consciousness:

• Tamas : inertia, inactivity, darkness, and ignorance
• Rajas : activity, passion, desire, energy
• Sattva : purity, knowledge, beingness, truth

Those stuck in tamas (inertia) are unlikely to engage in their self-discovery journey. They sadly remain stuck in their personas. Self-discovery activities are likely uninteresting to them.

Stage 1 occurs when the active quality of rajas is present. Rajic energy is necessary for developing our personalities and fully engaging in life (the process of becoming).

The shift toward sattvic consciousness starts when we embrace our inner world in Stage 2. However, a sattvic state isn’t realized until we arrive home within the Self in Stage 3.

Self-Discovery Activities Roadmap

7 Factors that Hijack Self-Discovery

Keep in mind that self-discovery is a natural process. Sages often refer to it as the “play of consciousness.”

However, many common factors can potentially stall our development. Maslow called this aborted self-actualization . When this occurs, the self-discovery activities we highlighted above either don’t come into play or they hold no meaning.

Let’s take a look at some internal and external factors:

Internal Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Numerous potential internal hurdles can stall self-discovery. When this occurs, one does not fully engage in self-discovery activities

Here are four potential hurdles:

Early Childhood Trauma

This is probably the most common culprit. A series of psychic scars in early childhood cause various shadow archetypes to take the helm in our conscious mind.

Childhood trauma leads to neurosis like anxiety and depression. Under these conditions, the discovery and awakening process may be thwarted. Instead, life becomes an endless struggle to meet their basic human needs and/or the pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

Trauma often triggers the puer aeternus archetype (eternal child), leading to the Peter Pan syndrome.

However, once brought to consciousness, trauma can be a catalyst for engaging in self-discovery activities.

A Fixed Mindset

Psychologist Carol Dweck’s decades of research presented in her bestseller Mindset (2007) reveals that a fixed mindset, conditioned into us in childhood, can have lasting consequences if not addressed in adulthood.

With a fixed mindset, individuals fear growth and have fundamental blocks to learning in adolescence and adulthood. In contrast, with a growth mindset , one naturally engages in self-discovery activities.

Misaligned Values of Society

The unspoken values of society include image, attractiveness, wealth, material possessions, competition, and “success.” When these are one’s ideal standards, it leads to neurotic behaviors and excessiveness (a feeling of never having enough).

In fact, many people engage in self-discovery activities when they realize how empty these societal values truly are.

As J. Krishnamurti said in Commentaries on Living :

Is society healthy, that an individual should return to it? Has not society itself helped to make the individual unhealthy? Of course, the unhealthy must be made healthy, that goes without saying; but why should the individual adjust himself to an unhealthy society? If he is healthy, he will not be a part of it. Without first questioning the health of society, what is the good of helping misfits to conform to society?

This is why it’s vital to discover your personal values . Your values will naturally help guide you toward self-discovery instead of “following the pack.”

A Strong Drive for Comfort

We all like being comfortable, but for various reasons (two of which are listed above), many individuals avoid risk while clinging to comfort. They have an unhealthy drive for safety and aversion toward growth—the exact opposite of self-actualizing individuals .

An excessive drive for comfort often degrades into addictive tendencies that result in a downward spiral. Endless distractions replace the natural drive for self-discovery activities.

External Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Here are three common external factors that cause us to withdraw from self-discovery activities:

Financial Restraints

We all have basic human needs and when we have difficulty meeting these needs, it creates a great deal of tension.

For example, how are you supposed to invest energy and attention into learning about your personality, when you’re worried about paying rent next month?

You don’t need to be affluent to pursue self-discovery, but it does help to have your “house” in order first. You just need an internal space for psychological safety where you are calm enough to pursue self-discovery activities.

An Unsafe Environment

Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers points out in On Becoming a Person (1995) that psychological safety in our environment is an important condition for creativity and the development of positive mental health.

This lack of psychological safety can be due to an abusive relationship, socio-economic conditions, or some other factor. These days, just turn on the news: external psychological safety seems to be in short supply.

A Disempowering Peer Group

Being surrounded by destructive individuals or people with mental illness (including narcissism) can make it challenging to pursue self-development. Your peer group can act like “crabs in a bucket,” pulling you down if you try to get out.

This external factor is more of a concern at the early stages of discovery when you’re first building momentum.

When individuals first engage in self-discovery activities, for example, they often search for other like-minded individuals. Others, at least for some time, go it alone.

Self-Discovery: A Pathless Path

Ultimately, the path you take to self-discovery will be unique to you.

The above stages and self-discovery activities are mere guidelines, designed to capture the essence of the journey home.

Remember, too, that it’s normal to slide off your path at times and to experience major setbacks along the way. Tests, trials, and tribulations are a part of the journey.

As Jung often pointed out, the way is not without its dangers. As soon as you leave the conventional, ordinary world and enter the “special world,” you’re on your own. While this can be terrifying, it can also be liberating.

It’s only when you step back and view this self-discovery process from a 10,000-foot view that you can fully appreciate the play of consciousness expressing itself through a myriad of forms representing all of us. What a peculiar thing.

Travel safely. Or don’t.

Either way, stay alert.

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About the Author

Scott Jeffrey is the founder of CEOsage, a self-leadership resource publishing in-depth guides read by millions of self-actualizing individuals. He writes about self-development, practical psychology, Eastern philosophy, and integrated practices. For 25 years, Scott was a business coach to high-performing entrepreneurs, CEOs, and best-selling authors. He's the author of four books including Creativity Revealed .

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Great Information! Thank YOU! BARB!

You’re most welcome, Barb.

Return to hOMe. Be Blessed.

Guía extensa, pero iluminadora. En mi caso, es un excelente enrutador, ya que me aclara situaciones que me agobian y me hacen detenerme sin rumbo definido. Esta guía me hace reflexionar y decidir qué camino debo seguir. Gracias Scott por tu valioso apoyo.

Sure thing, William.

Returning to Home and Self! The path is not without danger and suffering but it will be liberating. And I know I can do it.

Travel safety or not. Either way stay alert.

Thanks Scott a lot! Your writings and wisdom is making a lots of difference in the world, at least in my world.

Thank you for the feedback, Niimka.

Great to hear that the material is making a difference for you.

I have a a clarification regarding the content of this article , however, I might reference other articles on which my thought process is based. Please bear with me, as I try to make clearer sense of the “Sage Stage”.

In my view and based on experience/inner work it seems relevant to me to see three types of consciousness. Namely, Superconscious, Conscious, Subconscious, Unconscious.

In this article does the Sage stage refer to the “Consciousness arising from a leaning towards a Superconscious influence on an individual or is it coming from an archetypal “Sage” arising from the Subconscious/Unconscious?

I perceive inner work more aligning with Superconscious/Inner Guidance rather than Archetypal/SubConscious/Unconscious.

To seems to me, Spirit can interact with Soul-Ego(Human) only from a place of SuperConscious.

Please let me know how you perceive our internal construction that navigates self-discovery in relation to evolving consciousness? Thank you!

Personally, I don’t use terminology like “superconscious.” But I also don’t perceive that third stage in terms of a “Sage Stage.” I referenced “sagehood” as it links to the Sage archetype guide that’s relevant here. From a purely Jungian perspective, that’s accurate.

However, I’m not Jungian. To me, the Spirit isn’t an archetypal image as it is to Jungians.

“Returning home” doesn’t involve images. Navigating through images is the defining characteristic of Stage 2.

“Please let me know how you perceive our internal construction that navigates self-discovery in relation to evolving consciousness?”

So this is probably what may be different in our understanding. The transpersonal literature speaks about “evolving consciousness,” but wholeheartedly don’t agree with this. Sure, there’s the development of the ego. That’s why there are stages. But the “Return Home” is not evolutionary or developmental; it’s a function of stripping away what the Taoists call “mundane conditioning” to return what was there all along (hence, the “Original Spirit” or “Original Nature”).

Bringing order to the psyche (Stage 2) helps reduce mental illness. With less mental illness, there’s less neurosis. With less neurosis, the mind is more still. When the mind is still, one can be. If one can “just be” long enough, one’s energy stabilizes. As one’s energy stabilizes, the Spirit returns.

In this way, Stage 3 is more “alchemical” — not evolutionary or developmental.

Yes, I can now see the difference in views.

I had a very unique and personal experience in getting to come to know about the work of Sri Aurobindo. Although I am Indian, I did not know anything about him at all and his work on human evolution. It was through a personal sequence of synchronistic events in the last few years that were totally unexplainable that I came to know of him. In exploring his work I found a deep connection with my own personal “evolution of consciousness” making sense. The way he describes the process of moving from ego-centric mind to a higher mind has been very resonant with me at a personal level.

It fits accurately even within what you refer to as “sagehood”.

Because my personal experience is very valuable to me, I might like to perceive it as my consciousness is continuously evolving. Offers me the necessary motivation to stay on track even though inner work is hard.

Thank you for the clarifications.

It seems that the process on inner work being so non-linear in nature adequately covers the areas of de-conditioning and addressing neurosis as long as I stay dedicated to the discipline needed for inner work. It seems like the end is similar but being addressed in different ways.

To clarify, I did not suggest that “inner work” is non-linear. Sure, the psyche can be messy, and establishing order doesn’t necessarily follow a step-by-step process. Stage 2 of the self-discovery process is where inner work takes place. Stage 3 is more about contemplative practices that enable stabilization.

“The way he describes the process of moving from ego-centric mind to a higher mind has been very resonant with me at a personal level.”

Sure. But what I’m saying is that it’s incorrect to call this “evolution.” It’s the wrong word.

In the way I view inner work, I am considering messy and non-linear to be similar. In my mind it is similar to “not a step-by-step process”. I used the word non-linear to imply not in a straight line, sometimes straight, other times with repeats and new situations to navigate and explore…I see this as the “messy psyche” I am trying to “order” at some level.

The Indian word “Sadhana” that seems to align with Spiritual Contemplative practice to me is really what is most useful to me (as I have mentioned before I have a strong inclination towards spiritual contemplation). It could be different from other contemplative practices so sure. What is achievable through Sadhana is difficult for me to put into a few words. It is a state of being to which stabilization is definitely arriving. Also I’m over-simplifying everything here just to be concise.

The use of the word evolution is present in his literature aligning with a progressive movement. I think “awakening” applies here too. Is there a better word to describe the process?

“The Indian word “Sadhana” that seems to align with Spiritual Contemplative practice to me is really what is most useful to me”

Yes, Sadhana is the pathway of Stage 3.

“What is achievable through Sadhana is difficult for me to put into a few words. It is a state of being to which stabilization is definitely arriving.”

In the Indian tradition, especially the nondual schools, the focus is primarily on a transformation of consciousness — transcending the identification with the body-mind organism and moving beyond the “I am” (primary Maya). In the Taoist tradition, especially the Southern Reality School, the emphasis is on the stabilization of the energy within the body first. Then, they move to a transformation of consciousness.

“The use of the word evolution is present in his literature aligning with a progressive movement. I think “awakening” applies here too. Is there a better word to describe the process?”

Transformation and development both work.

Thank you for your time to clarify my questions and comments. It is very much appreciated.

Is the practice that is proposed by Jung for working with the unconscious mind “Active Imagination” suitable for all individuals?

The reason I ask is that some people have a predisposition towards “fantasy thinking” that utilizes imagination actively (not is terms of Jungian Active Imagination).

What I mean by fantasy thinking could be divided into two kinds, what I refer to as “Magical thinking, that goes like : I wish things would magically happen” or “Wishful thinking which is a active conscious thought process involving romanticizing reality, looking at life through rose-colored glasses or in some cases even dark fantasy that involves getting back at someone for wrong doing (even if it be in the realm of thought). The first two is something I seem to indulge in more easily. But I know people around me who indulge in (dark fantasy/more violent type) the later frequently. What I have described in this paragraph is a conscious active mental process.

I would say that based on knowing and studying myself as well as studying and observing others, some types (Enneagram in particular) have a greater predisposition towards fantasy thinking.

In fact I could even say that some “guided visualizations” that take people on mental journeys fall into a form of fantasy thinking process, that are more unproductive than useful. I find such guided visualizations very ungrounding and airy experiences. Please correct me if I wrong.

Makes me wonder if this is why hypnosis that takes a creative-imagination driven format with its practical applications works well only for some people.

Since active imagination is a way to tap into the unconscious would a person prone to fantasy thinking feel more ungrounded by engaging in it, without a clear sense of whether they have shifted into pointless imaginations or real useful work with their unconscious “parts”?

Is there a grounding practice that accompanies active imagination would support an individual to stay on track with “active imagination” vs. getting lost in imaginary conversations with parts (that they might be accustomed to given their fantasy-driven tendencies) that might produce useful, meaningful and desired results that tap into their psyche?

I hope my questions and background I have provided is clear enough.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

“In fact I could even say that some “guided visualizations” that take people on mental journeys fall into a form of fantasy thinking process, that are more unproductive than useful. I find such guided visualizations very ungrounding and airy experiences. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”

Yes, I generally discourage guided visualizations, despite how popular they are. Guided instructions can be useful as a learning aid, but guided visualizations serve little value in my experience.

“Since active imagination is a way to tap into the unconscious would a person prone to fantasy thinking feel more ungrounded by engaging in it, without a clear sense of whether they have shifted into pointless imaginations or real useful work with their unconscious “parts”?”

Not necessarily. Someone prone to fantasy may find active imagination very instructive as it can add a useful structure to their fantasies.

“Is there a grounding practice that accompanies active imagination would support an individual to stay on track with “active imagination” vs. getting lost in imaginary conversations with parts (that they might be accustomed to given their fantasy-driven tendencies) that might produce useful, meaningful and desired results that tap into their psyche?”

Yes. See these two guides: https://scottjeffrey.com/how-to-ground-yourself/ https://scottjeffrey.com/center-yourself/

Hi Scott, I’ve been considering the statement you mention “Not necessarily. Someone prone to fantasy may find active imagination very instructive as it can add a useful structure to their fantasies.” As someone who has not benefited in anyway in indulging in fantasy, I have not been able to use many of the practices that have been outlined by Jung. I don’t mean to dismiss or disqualify the validity and use of the practices…it might be extremely useful for certain individuals. I think I am very driven to focus on reality as it occurs and then try to connect it to fields of study. There is a neat distinction made by John Vervaeke (he may not be the originator), between “imagination” and “imaginal”. A website definition of this distinction goes as follows … Here it is important to differentiate between the imaginary (fantasy) and the imaginal, with the latter being seen as a crucial bridge between subjective and objective experience, as well as between perceptual and conceptual domains.” … It seems to me that Inner Work aligns well with “Imaginal” rather than “Imagination”. Personally, inner work continues to breakdown the hold of fantasy in my life…which continues to make inner work very useful. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think through this via this discussion.

To clarify, inner work and active imagination are not about engaging in fantasy as such. What you’re doing is actively engaging in dialogue with semi-autonomous subpersonalities within the psyche. There’s no need to get hung up on definitions of “imagination.” You don’t have to “imagine” these inner voices. They are already there. It’s just a matter of whether or not you tune into them.

Also to clarify, inner work is not the same thing as sadhana. With inner work, you engage with the images in the psyche. With sadhana, you don’t. That is, Eastern practices are focused on going beyond the images (because, as you observed, focusing on the images can lead to fantasy — i.e. delusion).

The integral movement (including transpersonal psychology) places inner work practices at a lower stage as it relates more specifically to the personality and contemplative practices (sadhana) at a higher stage of development. Overall, I would agree with this structure.

Thank you for the clarifications Scott.

It definitely sounds more honest to tune into inner voices. I can relate to that. I don’t think I make a clear distinction for myself about the stages of development. I tend to use a broad term as “Inner Work” that is simply ongoing, placing awareness onto various aspects of my life.

I don’t even have any specific affiliation with people who call themselves “integral” or “transpersonal psychologists”. When something resonates and seems to match something in my reality it offers a little more clarity. Thank you for sharing your time and guidance with me.

Sure thing, Roopa. I also don’t have any affiliations with these various groups. I mentioned integral here in this context because before this “fifth wave of psychology” there wasn’t really a language or understanding to differentiate these different schools of thought — both East and West — and the levels of development they represent. And without this differentiation, there tends to be a lot of internal confusion. This type of differentiation itself is a function of developing cognitive consciousness.

Scott, your portrait shows you becoming more distinguished, retaining the handsomeness.

Forgive me if I seem to be repeating what you have said. I think writing it down helps me understand.

“Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality)”.

Is this how people see you? Is this the unconscious that acts in your conscious? Is this the personality enneagram types and are they archetypes?

So far, I’ve asked about the persona as an unconscious part. Is it possible for our persona to be consciously developed? As a boy I emulated my father, then later years became an image (perhaps the persona mask). Can I say that I made my image and is this my archetype making me believe it’s me? What archetype I don’t know, you might have an idea which it is? Thank-you.

How people see you is a function of numerous factors that don’t necessarily align with Stage 1.

Yes, the Enneagram types are ultimately expressions of archetypes as I explain here: https://scottjeffrey.com/archetypes-list/

“Can I say that I made my image and is this my archetype making me believe it’s me?”

Not really. No. The psyche is a collection of archetypes — not just one. And there are a host of factors involved here.

Also, you don’t really consciously develop your persona. It’s more of a reaction to your environment.

That said, we all do learn by observing the behavior of those around us — especially those we project onto like parents and other authority figures.

My understanding of the persona; is an Image we relate to others. Do you think we would rather be our true personality to others?

I think the persona is not far off compared with our personality. As you can see from this quote”The list shows how likely it is that you are each enneagram type.

Most people will be the type at the top of the list, however, your actual personality type might be somewhat lower in it (usually it’s in the top 3).

This is from an enneagram test, which tells my we are not willing to show our true personality. Don’t you think we would be more contented with ourselves if we were able to incorporate the persona with personality? Thank-you.

The social mask is something that’s subconsciously created as a response to one’s environment. It’s a reaction.

One’s true personality is not known until the individual builds consciousness via processes like shadow work. Until then, they are divorced from many qualities about themselves (positive and negative) and engaged in self-deception. The goal of individuation is to bring the individual to a sense of wholeness.

The persona falls away during this process.

Thank-you Scott for your patient reply. However, from the quote on the enneagram test “Most people will be the type at the top of the list, however, your actual personality type might be somewhat lower in it (usually it’s in the top 3)” and your comment quote “One’s true personality is not known until the individual builds consciousness via processes like shadow work”.

There seems to be a conflict, are you suggesting the enneagram test people are wrong?

Perhaps there is not a conflict, I may be seeing the comments in a black and white perspective. I would like you to detail both quotes for me. Thank-you.

There’s no conflict here. The Enneagram is a typing system. Like any personality typing system, it can only highlight general predispositions of particular “types.” If you read any good book on the Enneagram, for example, you’ll resonate with many of the type descriptions. That’s why many individuals have difficulty zeroing in on their type. Their singular type represents a “center of gravity” — it’s not codifying who they are. Plus, there are nine levels of development for each type — from least healthy (9) to healthiest (1). Most people are in the mid to lower range (unhealthy to average mental health). Finally, as you develop your personality through inner work, you actually move toward a different type in the Enneagram (“path of integration”). Ultimately, the more one moves toward individuation the less any of these types become relevant. That’s part of the reason Jung didn’t approve of Myers-Briggs (MBTI). In his view, it missed the point of what psychological types represent.

Ilike the expression you used “center of gravity”. You have answered where the enneagram fits in to the individuation process. It does seem useful to consciously stay in your enneagram type. Thank-you. Perhaps you might elaborate on the phrase “center of gravity” …

“Center of gravity” is a term used in the developmental literature. There are all kinds of developmental stage models, including the Enneagram’s 9 levels, Loevinger’s ego development, Erikson’s psychosocial development, spiral dynamics integral, Maslow’s needs, etc. It’s a mistake to pigeonhole someone at a certain stage of any model. It’s more accurate to say that a person’s “center of gravity” is at a particular stage as it reflects the reality that we are complex beings with many parts. For example, with spiral dynamics, a person’s center of gravity value structure may be “green” (sensitive self) but that doesn’t mean they don’t they don’t also express orange (achievement) and blue (right-wrong morality) under different conditions.

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Destiny's Odyssey

Self-Discovery

Self-Discovery is a lifelong journey of exploration through our inner self, trying to discover who we are, our potential, our purpose in life, and what core principles are guiding us to take different paths along the way. The journey starts with self awareness then explores personal interests as well as hopes and dreams for the future. The journey eventually leads us to self knowledge which will enable us to guide ourselves towards situations and experiences in which we will thrive.

Self-discovery is a fundamental component of personal growth. We must take the time to discovery who we are as a person. This is accomplished through self-reflection. Self-reflection allows us to think about and examine our actions, preferences, feeling, values, beliefs, emotions, and tendencies. Since we are all different in the way we think, feel, act, learn, and perceive the world, it is beneficial to take the time to reflect in order to gain a better insight into ourselves. Self-discovery is a way for us to explore our individual personalities, natural preferences, values, beliefs, preferred styles and tendencies. The ultimate destination of this journey is finding out who we are and what makes use unique.

“We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” – TS Eliot

Process of Self-Discovery

The process of self-discovery is one in which a person is guided, through self-questioning and examination of one’s own thoughts, words, and actions, in order to reach his or her own conclusions regarding who they truly are.  Through the process a person gains a deeper understanding of his or her own self, character, values, and purpose in life.  He or she also becomes more aware of his or her potential.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Process of Self-Discove ry   is broken down into four segments;

Self-Awareness  – Increasing understanding of who you are, your personal characteristics, your tendencies, your emotions, your needs, and your value.

Interest Awareness  – Establishing your personal interests

Hopes and Dreams  – Listing your hopes and dreams for the future.

Career Discovery  – Finding a career that corresponds to your personality and interest.

“The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away.” -David Viscot

Self-Reflection

The first step in the self-discovery process is self-reflection. You must make the time to stop and really think about who you are.  Quiet meditation and reflection will allow you to refocus your mind and concentrate on your inner self, and allow you to examine the way you “see” yourself.  Self-Reflection allows you to explore your individual personality, natural preferences, values, beliefs, preferred styles and tendencies in order to become self-aware. You can also reflect on your personal interests, your dreams, and what you would like to do for a living.  

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.” – George Moore  

3 Ways to Start Your Self-Discovery Journey

Before you build healthy relationships with other people, you should first come to terms with yourself. For some people, this means learning how to validate their personal needs and love themselves, while for others, this means identifying their life goals and aspirations. Whatever your case, this process isn’t possible without in-depth self-discovery.

However, while this journey will inevitably benefit your self-esteem and overall attitude towards life, it also entails spending more time alone with yourself, which might not feel comfortable at first if you’re not used to it. It might also seem intimidating, especially if you don’t know where to start.

Fortunately, there are several exciting and fun ways to help you start your self-discovery journey without overwhelming yourself. Apart from beginning your morning with a journaling practice and reevaluating your current relationships, you can also go on a vacation alone, create a daily spiritual ritual, such as yoga or meditation, and learn to heal your inner child. Continue reading to learn how to embark on the journey of self-discovery.

Take a solo holiday

Some people might think that taking a solo holiday is weird or sad since you’ll be by yourself the entire time, but there are many benefits to doing so. For example, this kind of vacation enables you to focus on yourself and your needs without worrying about other people or feeling guilty about not spending enough time together with your companions.

Plus, it gives you time to reflect on your life and open up to new opportunities and experiences without worrying about making someone else happy. If you’re ready to take a solo holiday, here are some great places that are perfect for exploring yourself and finding new interests.

Go hiking in the mountains

Hiking might seem like an activity that requires some physical strength, and this is true to some extent. But even if you’re not athletic, there are many hiking trails that are perfect for beginners. Indeed, more picturesque routes like Aconcagua may seem intimidating at first, but they’re easy to conquer if you learn the basics and have an experienced guide show you the ropes.

The reason why it is so beneficial to go hiking in the mountains is that it provides you with a feeling of freedom and empowerment, which are great for self-discovery. Your accomplishments will boost your confidence and help you overcome obstacles in life, and the gorgeous scenery will also help you feel at peace with yourself.

Go camping in the woods

Another great way to spend time alone with yourself is camping in the woods. While this activity may seem a bit bizarre for some because it is usually associated with activities done with other people, it’s actually a great way to reconnect with yourself while surrounded by nature. All you need is a tent or a camper van, some food and drinks, essential camping equipment , warm clothes, and a sense of adventure.

Camping in the woods can also be a lot of fun, as you can explore new places, enjoy the fresh air, and admire the stars at night. If you want to make your camping experience even more comfortable and luxurious, you can  win a luxurious live-in van  by entering a competition. This van will challenge you to learn new skills, such as making a fire, cooking outdoors, or identifying plants and animals.

To make your solo camping trip even better, try bringing some books with inspirational or self-development quotes or play some meditation music on your phone or portable speaker. That way, you can immerse yourself in relaxation and peace without having to worry about anything else but enjoying the tranquil nature around you.

Go kayaking on a river

If you’re not really into hiking or camping, you can still enjoy the pleasures of spending time by yourself in the wilderness. For example, you can go find fish when kayaking on a river and just enjoy the serenity of nature. You’ll also get a chance to be one with yourself and think about your life and future, which will help you gain a deeper understanding of your needs and desires.

Kayaking allows you to find your centre and focus on the present moment. It’s also a great way to get some exercise and spend some time in nature without feeling overwhelmed by the “troubles” of modern life. All you need is a good kayak and some water-friendly clothing.

Create a daily spiritual practice

Following a spiritual practice is one of the more effective ways to connect with your inner wisdom and discover your best self. By creating a daily spiritual practice, you can increase your self-awareness, overcome negative emotions and destructive thought patterns, and set powerful intentions for the day ahead. Plus, it helps you connect with inner peace, which is something that we all need to feel happy and fulfilled.

Spiritual practices can be as simple as saying a prayer every morning or as complex as following a specific spiritual path and living according to its principles. Regardless of how you define your spiritual practice, there are some things that you should keep in mind.

Turn it into a part of your daily routine

As you devote more time to your spiritual practice, you’ll notice that it becomes a part of you. If you incorporate it into your daily routine, you’ll be more likely to stick with it and reap all of its benefits. For example, you can set the alarm so that you remember to start your meditation each morning or keep a daily journal to document your thoughts and feelings.

So, if you want to pursue your spiritual path, you need to find routines that will help you do so. It might seem a bit daunting at first, but it is well worth the effort. Turn off all distractions, such as the TV or your cell phone, and focus on yourself. If you feel like you’re not ready for it yet, don’t worry. You can start with some simple activities that don’t require much time and effort; as long as they help you develop a positive mindset, they are enough.

Choose what feels good for you

It’s important to remember that your spiritual practice should come from the heart and feel good for you. It doesn’t have to be religious or resonate with anyone else but you. It can be as simple as reading motivational books or inspirational quotes every day or meditating. Whatever you choose, make sure that it makes you happy and gives you a sense of peace.

Learn to heal your inner child

If you don’t feel happy or fulfilled in your life, it might be because something is missing. It could be a relationship with yourself or a certain aspect of your personality, but whatever it is, there’s one thing that you can always do about it. You can take a step back from the world and learn to heal your inner child. This means going on a soul-searching journey that will help you overcome your fears, limitations, and negative thought patterns and become more accepting of yourself.

To start this process, you first need to identify the source of your problems. It might be an unresolved trauma from the past or a negative thinking pattern that has been active since you were a child. Once you figure out what it is, you can start the healing process by writing in a journal or talking to a therapist. This can help you overcome your fears and negative emotions and move on with your life.

Final thoughts

While the process of self-discovery can be challenging at first, you can make it easier by starting your day with a journaling practice, creating a daily spiritual ritual, such as meditation or yoga, and taking a solo vacation. All of these activities will help you uncover more about yourself while keeping you away from distractions.

The most important thing is to remember that self-discovery can’t be an end goal. It’s a lifelong journey that will transform you and your life in the best possible way. So, whichever way you choose to embark on this journey, make sure that you enjoy the process and don’t rush too much.

Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.

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What Is the Meaning of Spiritual Journey? Self-Discovery

A spiritual journey is the process of introspection, self-discovery, and seeking answers to life’s deepest questions to gain a deeper understanding of oneself, the universe, and one’s purpose in life.

A spiritual journey is an individual and transformative process that often involves questioning beliefs, values, and identity.

It is a lifelong quest for truth, meaning, and wisdom, often leading to personal growth, healing, and enlightenment.

This journey can take many forms, including meditation, prayer, studying spiritual teachings, and engaging in spiritual practices to develop inner peace, compassion, and mindfulness.

Throughout the spiritual journey , individuals may face challenges and obstacles that test their resilience and commitment. By overcoming these hurdles, they foster greater self-awareness and spiritual growth.

This process of transformation ultimately serves to enhance their overall well-being and sense of interconnectedness with all living beings, cultivating deeper empathy and compassion for themselves and others.

8 Stages: Meaning of Spiritual Journey

Table of Contents

Key Takeaway

Five Facts About Spiritual Journey

Understanding the meaning of spiritual journey, defining spiritual journey.

A spiritual journey is an inward journey of discovery, an exploration of the self that allows individuals to gain a deeper understanding of their purpose in life and their connection to the world around them.

It is a quest for spiritual growth, guiding individuals towards a higher state of consciousness.

Here are some key points to help define what exactly a spiritual journey is:

• A spiritual journey is a subjective experience; each person’s journey is unique to them.
• It can be a long-term or short-term process, and it can involve different practices and techniques.
• A spiritual journey can be a conscious or unconscious process, depending on the individual’s level of awareness.
• It can be initiated by various factors, including a desire for personal growth, a life-changing event, or a crisis.

Connection To Spirituality

Spirituality is the foundation of a spiritual journey. It is the aspect of our being that longs for a deeper sense of connection to ourselves, others, and the universe. A spiritual journey is a quest to establish and strengthen this connection.

Here are some key points regarding the connection between spirituality and a spiritual journey:

• Spirituality is not necessarily linked to any specific religious or spiritual tradition.
• A spiritual journey is a path towards spirituality, rather than a destination.
• Spirituality is an essential aspect of a human’s existence, and it can impact their well-being, relationships, and sense of purpose.
• A spiritual journey involves practices that help individuals explore and deepen their spirituality, such as meditation, prayer, yoga, and self-reflection.

Importance Of Spiritual Journey

A spiritual journey is a transformative process that leads to personal growth, self-discovery, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Here are some key points regarding the importance of embarking on a spiritual journey:

• A spiritual journey can help individuals develop a sense of inner peace and calmness.
• It can also lead to a better understanding of their role in the world and their impact on others.
• A spiritual journey can help individuals find meaning and purpose in their lives, which can contribute to an overall sense of fulfillment.
• It can also help individuals develop greater empathy and compassion towards others, leading to more meaningful and fulfilling relationships.

The Different Aspects Of A Spiritual Journey

A spiritual journey is a deeply personal experience that involves seeking a sense of purpose and meaning in life beyond material and physical possessions. It’s a quest to connect with a higher power or a deeper sense of self.

The following section will explore the different aspects of a spiritual journey, including mental and emotional development, understanding the self, development of inner peace, connection to nature, and cultivation of empathy and compassion.

Mental And Emotional Development

A spiritual journey includes developing one’s mental and emotional capacity. This involves learning to let go of negative emotions such as anger, guilt, and fear, and cultivating positive ones such as love, joy, and gratitude.

Below are some ways in which one can develop their mental and emotional capacities:

• Regularly practicing mindfulness meditation is a powerful technique for developing emotional regulation and mental calmness.
• Engaging in introspection and self-reflection is important for understanding our thought patterns and emotional triggers, which can help us become more self-aware and mindful.
• Learning to accept and forgive oneself and others is an essential aspect of emotional maturity. By doing so, we can release ourselves from the past and live in the present moment.

Understanding The Self

A spiritual journey also involves understanding the self. This includes knowing our strengths and weaknesses, values, and beliefs.

When we understand ourselves, we can make decisions aligned with our authentic selves, which can lead to a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Here are some ways in which we can understand ourselves better:

• Journaling is an effective way to gain insight into our thoughts, emotions, and values. By reflecting on our experiences, we can uncover patterns and identify areas we want to work on.
• Seeking out feedback from trusted individuals can help us gain a different perspective on our behaviors and attitudes.
• Engaging in activities that challenge us and push us out of our comfort zones is an effective way to develop self-awareness and self-understanding.

Development Of Inner Peace

Inner peace is a state of equanimity and tranquility that arises from within. A spiritual journey involves developing inner peace by letting go of negative thoughts and cultivating positive ones.

Here are some ways in which one can achieve inner peace:

• Practicing yoga is an excellent way to connect with the body and calm the mind. It’s a practice that focuses on breathing, meditation, and asanas, which can help bring a sense of balance and harmony to the body and mind.
• Spending time in nature and engaging in outdoor activities can help us connect with the world around us and develop a sense of awe and wonder. Being in nature can also help us find a greater sense of perspective and calmness.
• Engaging in self-care practices such as getting sufficient sleep, eating well, and practicing relaxation exercises can help us manage stress and anxiety, which can lead to greater inner peace.

Connection To Nature

Connecting with nature is an essential aspect of a spiritual journey. It involves developing a sense of connection and appreciation for the natural world.

Below are some ways in which one can connect with nature:

• Spending time in nature by going for walks, hikes, or simply spending time outside can help us connect with the natural world and develop a sense of wonder and awe.
• Engaging in environmental conservation and sustainability efforts can help us develop a sense of stewardship and purpose. By taking care of the earth, we can also take care of ourselves.
• Learning about the natural world, including plants, animals, and ecosystems can help us develop a deeper sense of connection and appreciation for the complexity and beauty of life.

Cultivation Of Empathy And Compassion

Empathy and compassion are essential qualities for a spiritual journey. They involve developing an awareness and concern for the well-being of others and the ability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes.

Here are some ways in which we can cultivate empathy and compassion:

• Engaging in volunteer work or community service can help us develop a greater sense of empathy and compassion by seeing firsthand the challenges faced by others.
• Engaging in practices such as loving-kindness meditation, which involves cultivating feelings of love and compassion towards oneself and others, can help us develop a greater sense of empathy and compassion.
• Engaging in empathetic listening, which involves actively listening to someone else and being able to understand their perspective, can help us develop empathy and compassion in our interactions with others.

Examining The Stages Of A Spiritual Journey

The call to adventure.

The beginning of a spiritual journey starts with a call. It’s often a feeling of discontentment, a longing for something more in life.

The individual feels lost, disconnected, or empty and starts seeking answers. The call may come in different ways, such as a significant event or an encounter with someone who inspires them.

• The call could be a desire to find a purpose in life.
• It could be a yearning for a connection with something greater than oneself.
• It could be triggered by a significant loss or a traumatic experience.

The Initiation

After receiving the call, the individual embarks on the initiation stage, the beginning of the spiritual journey.

It’s a phase of self-discovery, where the individual starts exploring and questioning their beliefs and values, and begins to seek answers to their questions.

• The initiation phase is where the individual starts to learn about themselves.
• They start developing an understanding of their inner strengths and weaknesses.
• The initiation phase is also where they start to understand their relationship with a higher power.

The Challenges

The spiritual journey is not always a smooth ride. There come challenges throughout the process. These challenges serve as lessons to the individual on their growth and development.

• Some challenges could be external, like facing discrimination or physical hardships.
• Other challenges could be internal, like overcoming fear, anger, or negative habits.
• Challenges may also arise as an opportunity to demonstrate self-discipline, resilience, or forgiveness.

The Road To Redemption

After overcoming the challenges and learning the spiritual lessons, individuals enter the road to redemption. They begin to see the bigger picture and how the experience fits into their life journey.

• A regained sense of purpose and meaning can lead to a more fulfilling life.
• Forgiveness and reconciliation can restore relationships and foster emotional healing.
• A better understanding of oneself can lead to better decision-making and a more grounded approach to life.

In the final stage of the spiritual journey, individuals return to their lives with newfound knowledge, perspectives, and practices.

They integrate their spiritual experiences with their everyday life, creating a more balanced and fulfilling existence.

• Individuals integrate their spiritual lessons into their daily routines.
• They apply their newfound sense of purpose to their work, relationships, and community.
• The final stage is where individuals share their newfound knowledge with others, inspiring and guiding them on their own spiritual journeys.

Each individual spiritual journey is different, but by examining these stages, we can gain insight into the patterns of spiritual growth and development.

The spiritual journey may be challenging, but it can lead to a more fulfilling life and a deeper connection with oneself and the world around us.

How Does the Spiraling Symbolize Life’s Journey in the Spiritual Context?

The spiraling symbolizes the spiritual journey of life , embodying the continuous search for meaning and growth. As we navigate through life’s ups and downs, the spiral reminds us that our path is not linear, but rather a constant evolution towards higher consciousness. Each turn represents new experiences, lessons, and opportunities for transformation, ultimately leading us closer to our spiritual essence. Embracing the spiral’s symbolic power connects us to the profound cycles of existence and our place within them.

Tools And Techniques For Navigating The Spiritual Journey

A spiritual journey is a personal quest to discover the meaning and purpose of life and to connect with something greater than oneself. It involves exploring one’s inner self, developing a deeper sense of awareness, and connecting with the divine.

The journey can be challenging and transformative, but the rewards are often profound. To navigate this journey, there are several tools and techniques that can be helpful.

We’ll explore some of these tools and techniques, including meditation and mindfulness, journaling and self-reflection, connection to a higher power or spiritual community, yoga and breathwork, and energy medicine and healing modalities.

Meditation And Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are practices that involve quieting the mind and focusing on the present moment.

These practices are helpful for cultivating inner peace, reducing stress and anxiety, and developing a deeper connection with one’s inner self.

Here are some key points about meditation and mindfulness:

• There are many different types of meditation, including mindfulness meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and transcendental meditation.
• Meditation can be done in many different settings, such as at home, in nature, or in a meditation center.
• Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment and noticing one’s thoughts and feelings without judgment.
• Meditation can be practiced alone or with a group, and can be done for as little as a few minutes per day.

Journaling And Self-Reflection

Journaling and self-reflection are powerful tools for gaining insight into one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By writing down one’s thoughts and experiences, it can help clarify one’s goals, values, and identity.

Here are some key points about journaling and self-reflection:

• Journaling can be done in a physical journal or online.
• One can reflect on their day, their relationships, their inner life, and their progress towards their goals.
• Self-reflection involves looking inward to gain clarity and insight into one’s experiences and relationships.
• Journaling and self-reflection can be done on a daily or weekly basis.

Connection To A Higher Power Or Spiritual Community

Many people find strength and guidance through connection to a higher power or spiritual community.

This can take many forms, such as prayer, attending religious services, or participating in spiritual groups.

Here are some key points about connecting to a higher power or spiritual community:

• Connection to a higher power can provide a sense of support, guidance, and meaning.
• Spiritual communities can provide a sense of belonging and connection with like-minded individuals.
• Connection to a higher power may involve following a particular religious tradition or may be based on a personal connection to the divine.
• Connection to a spiritual community may involve attending events, participating in service projects, or engaging in group activities.

Yoga And Breathwork

Yoga and breathwork are practices that involve linking movement with breath to develop flexibility, strength, and inner peace. These practices can be helpful for improving physical and mental health, reducing stress, and cultivating spiritual awareness.

Here are some key points about yoga and breathwork:

• Yoga involves practicing postures (asanas) to develop strength, flexibility, and balance.
• Breathwork involves practicing different breathing techniques to calm the mind and body.
• Yoga and breathwork can be done in a studio, at home, or in nature.
• Both yoga and breathwork can be modified to suit different levels of experience and physical ability.

Energy Medicine And Healing Modalities

Energy medicine and healing modalities are practices that involve working with the body’s energy fields to promote healing, balance, and spiritual growth.

These can involve various techniques, such as reiki, acupuncture, or shamanic healing.

Here are some key points about energy medicine and healing modalities:

• Energy medicine involves working with the body’s energy fields to promote healing and balance.
• Healing modalities can involve working with a trained practitioner or can be practiced independently.
• Different modalities may be more effective for different individuals depending on their unique needs and circumstances.
• Energy medicine and healing modalities can be used in conjunction with other spiritual practices to enhance their effectiveness.

There are many tools and techniques that can be helpful in navigating the spiritual journey. These practices can help cultivate inner peace, reduce stress, and develop a deeper connection to oneself and the divine.

Whether one chooses to practice meditation and mindfulness, journaling and self-reflection, connection to a higher power or spiritual community, yoga and breathwork, or energy medicine and healing modalities,

The journey towards spiritual growth and awareness is a lifelong process that can be rewarding and fulfilling in many ways.

FAQ On What Is The Meaning Of Spiritual Journey

What is a spiritual journey.

A spiritual journey is a quest to connect with one’s inner self, seek spiritual enlightenment, and find purpose and meaning in life.

How Long Does A Spiritual Journey Last?

There is no defined timeline for a spiritual journey as everyone’s path and pace is unique. It can last for a few weeks, months or even a lifetime.

What Are The Benefits Of A Spiritual Journey?

A spiritual journey has many benefits such as self-discovery, inner peace, improved emotional well-being, and a sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.

How Do I Start My Spiritual Journey?

To start your spiritual journey, you can begin by meditating, practicing gratitude, seeking guidance from a spiritual mentor or a religious leader, and engaging in self-reflection exercises.

The spiritual journey is an individual experience that leads to self-discovery, self-transcendence, and ultimately finding meaning and purpose in life.

It is a path of growth that deepens our connection with our inner self and helps us understand the interconnectedness of all living beings.

The journey requires an open mind, patience, and a commitment to inner work. It is not an easy process, but it can be a transformative one. By getting in touch with our spiritual nature, we can find peace, happiness, and a sense of belonging.

It is important to remember that the journey is not about achieving a certain goal, but rather about embracing the process of experiencing life to its fullest. May we all find the courage to embark on this journey and discover the beauty and richness it holds.

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Sunhats and Chardonnay

How to Use Travel as a Journey of Self-Discovery

Many people go through life without ever asking themselves some important self-discovery questions. They may feel lost, confused, or dissatisfied with their current situation but don't know how to change it. They may wonder what their true purpose is, what their passions are, or what their values are. They may be stuck in a rut, repeating the same patterns and habits over and over again.

If you are one of those people, you may benefit from embarking on a journey of self-discovery. A journey of self-discovery is a process of exploring your inner world, your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. It is a way of getting to know yourself better and finding out who you really are and what you want.

Travel is also a way of discovering your strengths, weaknesses, talents, and potential. Overcoming language barriers, navigating unfamiliar terrain, and immersing ourselves in novel situations all contribute to personal development. These experiences become the crucible in which our mature selves are forged.

I have always loved traveling, but it is not just a way to see new places, meet new people, and experience new cultures. It is also a way to explore myself, to discover who I am and what I want in life. Traveling has been a journey of self-discovery for me, and I want to share with you how it can be for you, too. In this post, I'll share with you how travel can help you find yourself and what steps you can take to start your own self-discovery journey.

What is Travel?

Travel is a broad term that can refer to the act of moving from one place to another. It can also describe a journey or an outing that involves visiting different places.

People have various reasons and motivations for traveling, such as working, relaxing, or exploring. Depending on their goals and preferences, travelers can adopt different identities and roles, such as tourists, adventurers, pilgrims, and wanderers.

Traveling requires a sense of curiosity and openness and an appreciation for new experiences and diverse cultures. Traveling for self-discovery can produce a new outlook on yourself and your place in the world.

How can travel help you find yourself?

Although travel can expose you to new cultures, perspectives, and experiences, it can also challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. You must face unfamiliar situations, deal with different problems, and adapt to different environments. This can help you develop new skills, gain new perspectives, and grow as a person. You can also learn more about your strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and values.

It can teach you valuable lessons about yourself and the world. It can also inspire you to reflect on your life and your goals.

By traveling, you can discover what you love to do, what you care about, what you are good at, what you want to achieve, and what brings you joy. You can also discover what you don't like, what you don't agree with, what you need to improve on, what you need to let go of, and what doesn't serve you.

Travel can also help you develop some essential skills and qualities, such as:

Curiosity: Travel can spark your curiosity and make you eager to learn more about yourself and the world.

Open-mindedness : Travel can open your mind and make you more receptive to different ideas and opinions.

Creativity: Travel can stimulate your creativity and make you more imaginative and innovative.

Adaptability: Travel can enhance your adaptability and make you more flexible and resilient.

Confidence: Travel can boost your confidence and make you more self-reliant and assertive.

Travel can be a powerful tool for self-discovery, but it is not the only one. You can also use other methods, such as journaling, meditation, coaching, therapy, or taking online courses. It is important to find what works for you and commit to it.

Remember that your journey of self-discovery is not a one-time event but a lifelong process. You are constantly evolving and changing as a person, so you need to keep exploring and learning about yourself. By doing so, you will be able to define your mature self, the person you want to be and the person you are proud of.

Self-discovery Questions

To kickstart this introspective journey, one must ask themselves thought-provoking self-discovery questions. What are your passions? What motivates you? What fears hold you back? What are you good at? What are your beliefs and values? Reflecting on these inquiries serves as a compass, guiding you toward a deeper understanding of who you are and what you truly desire.

Another benefit of traveling is that it allows you to reflect on your life and find your purpose in life. When you travel, you have more time and space to think about yourself, your past, present, and future.

You can also find new ways to contribute to the world, to make a difference, and to leave a legacy. You can also compare and contrast your life with the lives of others and see what makes you happy or unhappy. Traveling can help you understand yourself better and make changes if needed.

Traveling can help you with the process of self-discovery, such as:

Accepting yourself as you are

Appreciating what you have

Recognizing what you need

Changing what you want

Pursuing what you love

How to start your own self-discovery journey through travel?

Now, let's intertwine the quest for self-discovery with the allure of travel. Venturing into new landscapes, cultures, and experiences can remarkably push us out of our comfort zones. It encourages us to challenge our preconceptions, fostering personal growth and a heightened self-awareness.

If you're ready to start your own process of self-discovery through travel, here are some tips to help you make the most of it:

Choose a destination that appeals to you and challenges you . Don't just go where everyone else is going or where it's cheap or convenient. Go somewhere that sparks your curiosity, offers something different, or has a personal meaning for you.

Be open-minded and curious . Don't judge or compare yourself to others. Instead, try to learn from them and appreciate their differences. Don't be afraid to try new things, explore new places, and ask questions. You never know what you might discover or who you might meet along the way.

Reflect on your experiences . Traveling is not only about what you see and do but also about how you feel and think. Take some time to journal, meditate, or talk to someone about your thoughts and feelings. Ask yourself what you learned, what surprised and challenged you, and what changed you.

Apply what you learned to your life . Don't let your self-discovery journey end when you return home. Instead, use it as a catalyst for positive change in your life. Think about how you can apply what you learned about yourself to your personal and professional goals. How can you use your newfound knowledge, skills, and confidence to improve yourself and the world around you?

Travel serves as a canvas upon which we paint the evolving portrait of our mature selves. Each destination, each encounter, becomes a brushstroke, shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves. The process of self-discovery becomes an ongoing journey rather than a destination, with travel as a perpetual catalyst.

Traveling has helped me find myself in many ways. It has helped me discover my passion for writing, my interest in photography, and my love for nature. It has also helped me realize that I want to live a simple, meaningful, and adventurous life.

As we conclude this exploration of the profound interaction between travel and self-discovery, remember that the journey to self-discovery is deeply personal.

Embrace the unknown, ask yourself the tough questions, and let the transformative power of travel be your guide. Through this dynamic duo, you'll uncover the mature self-waiting to be discovered. Bon voyage to your journey of self-discovery!

How about you? How has traveling helped you with your journey of self-discovery? How can traveling help you with your self-discovery journey? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

You might also be interested in:

Sometimes I Need to Be Alone

5 Reasons Why You Need to Travel Solo

How Can Solo Female Travelers Ensure Safe Stays in Their Accommodation?

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Solo Traveler

Solo travel tips, destinations, stories... the source for those who travel alone.

A Journey of Self-Discovery: Be Good at Being You

November 17, 2022 by Janice Waugh

Solo travel serves us in so many ways. As all travelers, we learn about the world. As solo travelers we also learn more about ourselves. A solo trip is a journey of self-discovery.

Let's face it, your longest relationship in life won't be with your parents, a sister or brother, partner or friend. It will be with yourself.

From birth to death, you are with you. You will keep your many confidences, your dreams of the night, and your dreams of daylight. Perhaps your missteps (you alone can really complete any forgiveness needed) and your victories (the ones that are huge to you but too small to share) will be held as well.

Your relationship with yourself is crucial to your happiness. It is fundamental to successful relationships with others. You need you as your best friend. You need to be good at being you.

This is what takes me to solo travel as a journey of self-discovery.

What Is Self-Discovery?

10 Best this, Top 100 that: we live in a world driven by comparisons.

We tend to do the same in our personal lives. Caroline McHugh, in her 2013 TED Talk,  The Art of Being You , refers to the tendency to draw personal comparisons in real life and on social media as an addiction to approval. This addiction is distracting and uses energy that could be applied in more satisfying ways.

The journey of self-discovery is the process of understanding yourself without drawing comparisons to others. It's about knowing your values, interests, needs, wants, skills, and dreams. It's about knowing your personal characteristics, including your strengths and weaknesses.

Armed with heightened awareness through self-discovery, we are more conscious of our authentic selves and better able to make choices for more meaningful, happy lives.

This is where solo travel comes in. Extracting yourself from a world of comparisons by traveling solo, that internal dialogue that draws such conclusions falls silent. In the silence, the process of self-discovery has space to take place.

Solo Travel: A Journey to Self-Discovery

Traveling solo, one has time to gain perspective.

As you travel solo, you can see how you operate when no one is looking. You have more time to look at the intentions behind your thoughts, words, and actions. Because you are outside of your normal life, you can see these intentions, assess them, and tweak them to create the life that you want. It helps you be better at being you.

5 Steps to Self-Discovery As You Travel Solo

• Choose a destination that feels physically and emotionally safe . If you want to focus on self-discovery, it's important to go to a place where you feel safe and secure. You can learn things when you are in challenging destinations but it won't be the type of discoveries we're talking about here.
• Go to places of solitude . Parks, libraries, art galleries, and other places that invite you to be quiet and keep to yourself will give you time and space for contemplation on your journey of self-discovery. Seeing where your mind wanders when not engaged in anything in particular is fascinating to observe and revealing in itself. Your mind will naturally drift to topics of interest about which you may be unaware. You may even reconnect with the dreams of your younger self. Consider whether they continue to inspire you or may already have been realized.
• Leave lots of unscheduled time on your itinerary . As you explore your destination, you will naturally find or learn about things that you want to explore that you hadn't previously known about. Leaving unscheduled time on your itinerary gives you the freedom to respond to opportunities as they arise.
• Look for inspiration in new places . Are you a musician? Explore the local sports scene. Are you an artist? Go to a science center. As you travel solo, explore areas of interest that are not natural to you. Drawing inspiration from new places can take your thoughts and ideas into new directions.
• Spend time reflecting. Whether you're a note-taker, doodler, or audio person, spend some time reflecting on and documenting your thoughts, strengths, interests, and discoveries.

There are a number of paths to self-discovery. This post on Self-Coaching will provide some insight for you on methods and questions to ask in your self-discovery process.

I encourage you to use solo travel as part of your self-discovery journey. Take the time to learn who you are now because you are not the person you were in your teens, a decade ago, or even last year. Solo travel also offers an opportunity to explore and practice who you want to be.

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A Journey of Self-Discovery and Career Courage: Finding Meaning in Work and Life The Excitable Soul

• Self-Improvement

In this week's episode I sit down with the remarkable Sarah Broadhead, an occupational psychologist and author whose life's work revolves around facilitating personal growth and understanding. Sarah takes us on a journey through her influences, from her beloved English teacher to her spirited grandmother. Discover how her deep empathy and passion for helping others are fuelled by her own experiences and how a man named Pete changed not just his life but Sarah's outlook on the power of coaching. Sarah also dives into the significance of storytelling in finding life's purpose, the role of feedback in personal development, and why taking risks can be the pivot point in shaping a fulfilling career.

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Love Yourself Through the Battle with Hormonal Acne

I n the quiet moments before the mirror, where our reflections bare the truths of our struggles, hormonal acne can feel like a relentless storm. It’s not just about skin; it’s a tumultuous journey that often wears on our self-esteem and emotional well-being. Yet, within this struggle lies a profound opportunity for self-discovery and love. Today, I want to share a message of hope and self-compassion to anyone navigating the unpredictable waters of hormonal acne.

The Unseen Battles of Hormonal Acne

Hormonal acne isn’t simply a skin condition; it’s a myriad of internal battles that manifest externally. It can emerge in our most vulnerable years, often during puberty, but it doesn’t always end there. Many of us carry this battle into adulthood, where the stress of daily life can exacerbate the challenges we face in the mirror. Hormonal acne is a reminder of our body’s constant flux, a testament to the unseen battles within.

The Mirror Doesn’t Define You

On days when your skin feels like a battleground, remember: your reflection doesn’t capture your courage, your kindness, or the depth of your experiences. Acne cannot dim the light of your smile or the warmth of your embrace. You are a constellation of dreams, achievements, and moments of resilience. Your skin is just one chapter of your vast, unfolding story.

The Strength in Self-Love

Self-love in the face of hormonal acne is a quiet rebellion against the voices that tell us we must fit a certain mold to be beautiful. It’s a daily practice of looking beyond our imperfections and recognizing the inherent worth we carry within. Loving yourself through this struggle means treating your skin with kindness, seeking treatment without shame, and embracing your journey with patience. It’s acknowledging your pain but also your incredible strength to rise above it.

Finding Community and Support

Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. Millions are walking this path with you, each carrying their own story of struggle and resilience. Finding a community—whether online or in-person—that shares your experiences can be a source of comfort and strength. In these spaces, we’re reminded that our struggles are universal, yet they don’t define us. They’re simply part of the human experience, connecting us in unexpected ways.

Embracing Your Journey

Your battle with hormonal acne is not just a series of obstacles but a journey of growth. Each day presents an opportunity to practice self-care, to learn more about your body, and to extend kindness to yourself in new ways. Whether it’s through finding the right skincare routine, adjusting your diet, or seeking professional help, each step is a testament to your commitment to yourself.

A Message of Hope

To anyone feeling weighed down by the struggle of hormonal acne, know this: You are beautiful, not in spite of your acne, but because of the strength it takes to face each day with hope and resilience. Your skin does not define your beauty—your actions, your love, and your courage do.

In embracing ourselves, just as we are, we light the way for others to do the same. And in this light, we find that the most radiant glow comes not from flawless skin, but from a heart full of love and acceptance.

So, here’s to loving ourselves through every chapter, every challenge, and every triumph. Together, we’ll continue to grow, heal, and shine—reminding the world that beauty is a light that shines from within.

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