(Photo by Daniel Gonzales on Upsplash)
“’Finding yourself’ is not really how it works. You aren’t a lost ten-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. ‘Finding yourself’ is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.” Emily McDowell
How to Return to Yourself:
Perfection does not exist. Seek progress, embrace your strengths, and accept your quirks.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone and into new experiences, discovering new paths.
Patience and persistence are your two best allies; lean into yourself and expect great rewards.
Prioritize self-care and self-compassion; be kind to yourself.
Passion helps find your life’s purpose and direction while defining your core values and goals.
Practice gratitude and find joy every day by focusing on blessings and lessons learned.
Personal time and space decrease the outside noise and distraction so you can explore your inner world. Time to relax, breathe, reflect, and reset; tune into your true feelings and voice.
Positive relationships: As you get to know yourself better, you can build meaningful relationships with healthy boundaries. Don’t hide behind mask; seek real connections.
The past belongs in the past. Let go of grudges and anything that no longer serves you. Forgiveness frees your heart and body of unnecessary anger, pain, and suffering.
Program your mind; silence negative self-talk and replace with positive thoughts. Thoughts matter and become your belief systems which can set your inner programming up for failure or success; it all depends on your mindset and what you choose.
It’s all about connecting with your true self and living authentically. When you show up in the world as your real self, magic happens, and you’ll attract people and experiences that align with who you truly are.
Learn to express yourself without hiding your true thoughts and feelings. When you lose that connection, you feel depressed, angry, bored, anxious, full of self-doubt, and low self-esteem. You’ll always be on guard and afraid of letting your hair down.
Get to know yourself better by cultivating a deeper self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Activate your true self by believing in yourself and reclaiming who you really are.
Remember, you are unique, and you’re worth it!
It always feels great to return back home to yourself.
Antoinette Giacobbe, M.A.
