Discovery — sometimes the process appeals to me.
And sometimes, well, sometimes it doesn’t.
The whole adventure of discovering me? I’ve alternated between ignoring myself … and chasing after myself demanding, “Stop running away and just tell me who you are!”
I am all for discovering what I do. We’re confronted with that “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question at ridiculously early ages. Let kids pretend … imagine that they can be anything and anybody … because isn’t that what being a child is all about? Imagining anything and everything?
The more important discovery? Discovering ourselves — what we value, what we long for, what beliefs guide us, what truths anchor us when we’re blown off course by disappointments.Values like honesty, generosity, respect, and loyalty.
My son-in-love, Nate, has a tattoo on his arm. (Now bear with me if you don’t care for tattoos. This post isn’t about tattoos. I merely want to make a point and I want to make it using Nate’s tattoo.) Okay … so it’s the drawing of a compass and each point of the compass (north, south, east, and west) points to a cross. Why? Because no matter where Nate’s headed in life, that’s his destination: the cross. He’s anchored himself to God and how Jesus’s sacrificial death changed his life. Nate’s destination reveals who he is and what he values.
Here’s my point: I am thankful I know me — and what I do. I am even more thankful that I’ve discovered who I am — and that I learned, slowly, to be me. To trust me. To stay true to me — and what I value, what I know is true.
In Your Words: What has helped you discover who you are? If you were to alter the points on a compass to reflect you and your values, how would you change them?
Correcting the Compass: an act of self-discovery Click to Tweet
Discovering Yourself & Trusting Yourself Click to Tweet
Comments 16
Just like we check our appearance by looking in a mirror before going out in public, friends’ reactions and input help us see more who we are, and generously see us more fault-free than we often consider ourselves. But I believe the reality is, we can trust their insights and input to be more accurate than our own, and be thankful.
Author
I agree with you, Dee. Our friends are a true mirror — and a compass too.
I used to revel in the journey of self-discovery, until I realized that I was becoming like the famous Malaysian Concentric Bird.
If flies in tighter and tighter circles until it disappears up its…well, never mind.
The epiphany was bloody. But I’m glad I went through it, because it saved my soul.
I used to think that I was ‘real’; now I know that the love I pass on is the only reality, and I am but its shadow.
Author
Andrew:The love you give away is a reflection of you and what you believe. It is a reflection of your values.
Hmmm…good point. I got it backwards.
I think what’s helped me discover “me” is a combination of things: maturity (a kinder, gentler word for “age”–Lol, life experiences, and growth as a believer). Whew! Certainly not easy, but a much-needed discovery process. So thankful I’m wiser than I was and I’m mature enough now to know I’ll never stop learning! 🙂
Author
Yes, maturity is a kinder, gentler word than “age,” and sometimes life experiences can cause maturity to happen earlier in life than later.
What a great post, Beth. I think some of discovering who I really am has come through realizing who I’m not. I’m not that perfect pitch singer I longed to be when I was younger. I’m not the “do-it-all” woman who can do it all and care for her family perfectly. I’m not all that everyone thinks I should be.
I’ve learned through my own personal wounds that I am loved—cherished by Jesus—and He is enough. I am growing more and more into the woman He designed me to be, and I’m comfortable with the fact that I am still a WIP. Sometimes I see who I am by what those I trust tell me. This can be a good thing too.
Author
Yes, Jeanne — it’s so freeing to accept that we are not all that everyone thinks we should be.
And that is a good thing.
Beth, what a truth-filled, thoughtful post. I must agree – one of life’s greatest gifts is being comfortable in our own skin because we know exactly who we are (regardless of the world’s approval).
Author
Thanks, Donna. Actually, I did ponder this post quite a while. 🙂 I love quotes that need to be unpacked and pondered.
The one thing that changed my life-besides coming to know Jesus-was when I made silk flowers. It was the first time in my life that I realized I could make something beautiful. And it gave me the encouragement to do other things. Great post.
Author
Oh, Pat, you are so talented. I can’t even imagine the skill needed to fashion a silk flower.
Beth,
Finding direction in life is hard sometimes. Especially when God is silent. But it’s trusting Him that is my goal. My direction. Placing my trust in Him every single day, no matter how much I understand (or not) who I am and what I’m doing. Because at the end of the day, He’s all that matters to me.
Blessings,
Andrea
Author
Ah, trusting God when he’s silent … knowing that silence doesn’t mean he’s absent. Or that he’s uncaring. Or that he’s not working on our behalf.
Yep… that’s when it’s hard, but oh-so-rewarding. 🙂