Reflection is a valuable tool.
At times, we don’t realize why looking back shows us everything we need to see.
Yet doing so is how we got to where we are and where we are going next.
Many of us don’t know who we are.
Maybe we don’t want to know.
For reasons most of us would understand, why shy away from any real growth.
Maybe we think it will be too much work.
Nothing worth getting is ever going to come easily.
Maybe we aren’t sure how to find out how we are.
That information will never come from the outside world — they just validate what you already know.
Knowing who you aren’t is the same
For years, I knew who I wasn’t.
That doesn’t mean I knew who I was.
Everything I thought I wanted to be was buried under layers of the muck and grime I had collected over the years.
It took much more to get to the really deep layers of “Who is Michelle Homme?”
Only once I stopped being afraid of what I would find, did I realize I could never not know what I know.
Someone else made me a little uncomfortable and for some reason, I didn’t run.
Asking the right question at the right time made me admit where I didn’t want to be.
I had to admit I was tired of being afraid.
I saw myself as someone who was courageous and strong.
But I knew I wasn’t that person.
I had to find myself
I did a lot of reading and still do.
In some ways, it validates the progress I have made and keeps me from going too far from my soul.
Finding myself meant I had to be vulnerable — more vulnerable than I have ever been.
It meant giving more of myself to others without recognition or applause.
Allowing to see each moment in life allowed me perspective and peace, especially when things did not turn out as I would have hoped.
Peace seems to be where I reside, and no matter the storm outside, my soul is calm.
Realizing that some things cannot be changed has granted me the ability to let go and move forward in my life.
Loving others, almost with complete recklessness, gave me freedom from disappointment and expectation.
I never would have believed that finding myself would have given me the view of the world I had always wanted.
So, why should YOU find out who you are?
There are many excuses you and I can both come up with, but this article is about all of the reasons you SHOULD do some deep soul searching.
You find out who you aren’t
As I mentioned before, when you start digging deep into the experiences and circumstances that have guided you to this very point, you start to weed out the things that don’t mesh well with you. You begin to notice the differences (even the subtle ones) between the person you want to be and the person other people want you to be. You recognize what beings you joy and happiness and what does the opposite.
You can never be “lost”
When you find who you are, you don’t wander. You don’t struggle with finding your way. You know your way. As simple as it sounds, your direction never seems to erratic in nature — it is steady and firm. Some days, you may be moving slower than others, but you never stay still and you never go back to where you once where.
You are grounded to your being
Maybe you don’t practice meditation or yoga, but you are centered to your soul. In ways most would not understand. There is quiet in your heart and only good things are given space and attention. Peace is something you feel as much as you share with others — they feel it when in your presence. Serenity comes to you in the purest and spiritual ways.
You are eager to learn
As someone who has found the most secretive places in our selves, we are intrigued by what else we must learn. Becoming students of life — whether that be by the sharing of stories or the listening of others — opens our minds to even greater knowledge that is awaiting. Curious about life itself requires us to be one with life.
You know when you are “getting off course”
There will always be those moments in life where obstacles or hurdles will present themselves. But you never falter. You never run away or hide. When you start to head off into a direction that is not aligned with your soul, you feel it. It is a negative pull and you sever your ties almost as soon as you feel it. You cannot be dragged down by something that doesn’t have power over you.
You find beauty in simple things
Life has beauty in it every where. You see it. You point it out. You want others to see what you see. It is in the appreciation of the simplest of things that allows us to appreciate what life offers to us. You see, beauty isn’t always about something we do or say — in may cases, it is just about observing long enough to take notice. What seems ordinary to others becomes something beloved to you.
You know your tribe
Let’s be honest — we all know those people who aren’t good for us. In the same regard, we know those people who are in sync with everything we are that being with them is effortless. That close nit group can be one or a few people and you appreciate them the more you understand who they are. Picking and choosing becomes quite simple on so many levels.
You shine without trying
When you know who you are, you can’t help but be the best version of you. And people see that. They are drawn to your light, even when you aren’t do anything. You can’t help it. Your energy is attractive to others as they search for ways to grab what you possess. You become a beacon that illuminates the darkness some of us find and give us permission to “keep swimming.”
You don’t doubt
Criticism from others doesn’t seem to phase you and rejection is easily accepted. Doubting yourself doesn’t happen much and you never seem to be intimidated by scary things. In fact, you relish acts of bravery as well as love to prove people wrong. Understanding your purpose and how your life intersects with others appears to be part of a much bigger plan.
You inspire others.
Without a doubt, you are the person people look to for hope. They are reminded of their goals when you share some motivating words. Whether those inspirations come in words or in the actions you take every day, people are inspired by you. The willingness to be vulnerable and authentic allow others to connect to you as they see themselves in becoming the very person they have always wanted to be.
Too many people wait too long
Life is short.
No one wants to look back on their life and only see regrets.
Finding who you are is only one part of the puzzle.
But once we find out who we are, we realize we cannot hide what we find from the rest of the world.
We understand what it means to be our true selves and give permission to others to do the same.
Coming up with excuses is easy.
Anyone can do that, but I wonder how many of you would find the courage to search your soul?
To dig deep enough to get your hands a little dirty, but be grateful for the discovery too?
When you appreciate the person you were born to be and the person you are one and the same?
Growing each day becomes a blessing instead of a hindrance?
It’s time.
Time to find out who you really are…
Michelle A. Homme 2017 ©
