Quote by Socrates: “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” 

The beginning of wisdom is knowing yourself first. What a lesson far ahead of its time!

We are ushering in a new existence where the external is no longer truly allowing any of us to find absolute happiness or purpose. Collectively, most of us have lived our lives chasing things outside of ourselves in the belief that we would find satisfaction, purpose, and happiness there…and many of us are now waking up to the reality that we have been misled. 

It Sounds Nice

The evolution of self-discovery or self-awareness has been romanticized to the point that when we step onto this moving sidewalk…we find ourselves frantically trying to jump off, as we slowly realize that we cannot undo what we started. You cannot unsee a new reality. The idea is nice, the truth is messy. This is my disclaimer for you. Know that it’s amazing AND it’s hard. 

Dump Out the Purse

Ladies will relate, sorry guys. 

Ladies…have you ever been driving down the road, with your purse riding along side of you in the passenger’s seat, when SUDDENLY the traffic in front of you stops?? You slam on the breaks, your open purse toppling to the floor spilling everything inside. All the loose change, gum wrappers, lip stick and any other item free floating in there (yeah…my purse is a mess) scatter onto the dirty floor mat of your car and you realize there’s a lot of garbage in there. THIS is how I see moving from a state of non-realization to a state of realization. This is the mess, the toppled over purse, the scattered contents and the visible garbage. Here’s where you make the choice, pick up the ALL the garbage, upset that it spilled…maybe grab some extra dirt and shove it back into the purse…or examine the contents, decide what stays, what goes and what will NOT be going back into the purse later. That’s what it all looks like. 

Self-awareness can lead to all sorts of outcomes, and individually those can feel freeing but also traumatic. You may find yourself leaving a job, closing a business, breaking up with friends or exiting a relationship. The purse gets turned over, the contents spill out and you are forced to examine them and decide…what goes back in or perhaps…do I even want this purse anymore. 

The Beauty of It

Although knowing yourself, truly, in every aspect, good bad and otherwise is a messy and sometimes traumatic experience, it’s one that is truly worthwhile. Beginning to become self-aware means that you get to have more say in your life. You get to align with what lights you up. You get the privilege of a challenge that can grow you up into the person you were meant to BE. You STOP becoming a victim of circumstances and instead the director of your story. 

Outside of all the personal benefits you gain, you will also become more compassionate of others. Knowing yourself deeply creates the ability to understand others better. You understand the difficulty and bravery that it takes to break paradigms and evolve, therefor allowing patience with others and the ability to see through a new lens. This alone will bridge the gap in all relationships, whether in business or in life. It can be a heavy cross to bear, but one you’ll never regret!