Know Thyself
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle
Know Thyself
From personality tests to horoscopes and archetypes, there are many tempting outside ways to better know yourself. Why do you think that those tricksy “What Harry Potter/Friends/Game of Thrones/Sex In the City Character Are You?” quizzes are so enticing? You want to know who you are!
Let’s start over again.
I’m an INFJ, Enneagram 4,5,7 (they’re all tied!), Gemini with Libra rising, Earth Rooster, Creator/Alchemist, Stickler/Avoider and Obliger. (I’ve never done a TV/movie character one, but I’d say I’m a mix of Miranda, the Weasley twins and Arya Stark.)
These are all tools that may be able to say something about a part of me, but is it really me? Of course, not!
I see people chasing outside definitions and searching for validations to confirm what they already know. If I’m honest, I am also tempted by quizzes that might be able to shed some light on why I do the things I do.
While all these definitions can speak to specific aspects of a personality or tendencies, they don’t come anywhere close to telling the whole story and they’re far from the whole picture.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Knowing Thyself
Do you want to know who you are? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Take away the distractions.
- Sit still in silence.
- Just be.
There may be a squirmy bit, but once you allow yourself to BE without distractions, and encourage your curiosity to spontaneously explore (while avoiding those distractions), you get to the juicy stuff of YOU.
Oh, and question your thoughts because you are NOT your thoughts, contrary to what your brain would have you believe. Your thoughts are likely not even true; they’re just a story that your busy mind came up with.
Once you stop believing those thoughts and are able to be still in the present moment, who are you in your deepest essence? What is your inner wisdom saying?
Brian Leaf, author of Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi, defines inner wisdom
“… as a knowledge that comes from quieting the mind, setting aside the ego, setting aside one’s ideas of how things should be, and listening and feeling for what feels truly right.”
Once we calm and quiet things down, we can hear what our inner wisdom has to say.
Writing To Your Intuition
I learned about the act of writing to your intuition through the blogger, traveller and podcaster, Jess Lively. She mentioned it in her podcast and it had me curious.
I tried to do it and have been amazed by the results. It’s a process whereby you get into a calm state of mind and ask your intuition questions you’re currently pondering. Then you write what you hear.
Sometimes the answers are just one word or short sentences. Sometimes you need to prod further to get to the base of the issue. The voice is always wise, calm and fair. It can bring peace and a sense of safety.
Writing to my intuition is not something I do regularly, but I do it when I sense the need to turn inward for comfort or insight.
So try this on for size. Get some paper and a pen. Do a quick body scan or 5 senses meditation to calm your mind. Click either of the images below to access your free copy. Then ask your intuition a question on paper. Write down whatever comes to mind. Don’t question or judge what comes out, just write.
How Sophrology Can Help With Knowing Yourself
In addition to activities such as writing to your intuition, sophrology sessions can help you get to your true essence. Through first getting into the body in the here and now, you learn to tap into your sensations and feelings. Through calming the mind in the guided positive visualisations, realisations, awareness and true inner wisdom are experienced, leaving you filled with a grounded sense of you and your path.
The transformation happens subtly over a number of weeks or a couple of months. You may not notice it at first, but when you look back, you see the difference.
If you feel like you could use some support as you get to know yourself, I’d be honoured to accompany you. I work 1:1 with clients, in addition to my group programs and would love to meet with you.
The beauty of remote work is that we can connect via Zoom, no matter where in the world you are.
Want a small taste?
Check out the free Mini Sophrology Session Video with Interactive PDF that I created for you.
Click the image or the button down below.
