Knowing and Being Who I Am

The most comprehensive challenge I face every day is knowing and being who I am.

I recognize that I cannot be the leader I have the potential to be, cannot be the person I have the potential to be, when I lose sight of my true self. It takes me time and patience to gain new insights into the reality that is right in front of my eyes.

At the same time, so many things within and beyond me push and pull in different directions. There are so many distractions, so many challenges, so many incentives to be someone else. Even the qualities I appreciate as strengths, like empathy and listening, can feel like challenges that make it more difficult to see clearly.

It is also a challenge that I cannot hold onto my self too tightly. Often, it is the aspects of myself which I think I understand the best that surprise me the most and give me the deepest insights for further reflection. I cannot get ahead of myself or take things for granted.

I need to treat myself with respect and give myself time. There is no short cut to knowing myself.

It is the same as any healthy, growing relationship with another person. I am looking for something long-term, not a series of intense encounters.

For me, it is important that I spend time being open to myself. I want to know myself in a deeply understanding friendship, not know about myself because I have studied and analyzed myself so well.

I want to become my true self, not just imitate what I think my true self would do.

For me, it takes reflection, solitude, and silence. It takes help from gifted and supportive guides.

Who are you?

How do you know yourself more deeply each day?

[Image by David Paul Ohmer]