We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
-Anais Nin
We are all on a journey of self-discovery and it is a never-ending process which is why awareness becomes so important. If you have ever been someone who feels that they have “lost themselves” or that their life is out of their hands or not what they pictured, you aren’t alone. According to recent studies, 75% of women and 62% of men feel pressure to be perfect. The pressure to meet an unattainable expectation is a precursor for anxiety and depression which are often present when an individual feels “lost.”
So, what does “finding ourselves” really mean? Maybe it’s less of a destination and more of a journey of evolution. Here are 5 powerful questions to ask yourself to start the process of evolving into a life of more fulfillment, joy and peace.
- “What do you wake up for that isn’t a person, thing or substance?” It’s OK if you struggle to answer this one. The purpose of it is to pinpoint areas of meaning in your life. Meaning is actually neuroprotective and linked to a longer life!
- “How am I loving myself?” The way we eat, speak, rest and think gives us a glimpse of our ability to show self-love as opposed to criticism.
- “What’s my regular self-dialogue?” The thoughts in our head give a lot of insight into our perspective about our environment. Maybe we feel out of control, overwhelmed or unhappy. In order to change, we must know what our current state is.
- “What does my dream life look and feel like?” Individuals often think that their dream life is all of the material things that they want and really, it’s better to think of the way we want to experience life. How many hours a week would you be working? What would you be doing? What would you see? Who is in your life and how does it feel?
- “What could I start today that would be a step towards my vision of a fulfilling life?” This is a working thought. Make it simple.
Remember that we will often get “stuck” in life because we live in a fast-paced world that keeps us overstimulated and distracted. When we are experiencing overwhelm, our nervous system gets dysregulated and we can feel very incapacitated. This “freeze” can accompany depression, anxiety, loss of joy and essential loss of self. Maybe it’s the parenting years, a new job, a loss of a job, years of a sport that has come to an end. There will continue to be times where we lose our footing but if we learn how to recalibrate, we can keep evolving past our “stuck” states and into a beautiful life.
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