Have You Developed Enough Awareness to Know Who You Are?

Do you spend a lot of time trying to create your identity? Is that something you do consciously or something you just let evolve over time and through experience? In life, from the many experiences, relationships, accomplishments, and responsibilities we go through, we tend to collect an assortment of different traits and characteristics. But do they accurately paint the picture of who you are? Or as importantly, do they paint the picture of who you want to be? We use these events routinely to provide an explanation of who we are, but do we give enough careful attention to those explanations?

Think about this: Mostly, we know what our favorite music is, don’t we? We know what makes us laugh and what makes us sad. We know our strengths and weaknesses, and, in many cases, we can use those characteristics to describe ourselves to others. However, consider this question, does knowing the facts about yourself equate to developing awareness of yourself? They are not necessarily the same, right?

As I grew a bit older, many things made me very curious about who I thought myself to be. In the quest to know myself better, I began looking at which things mattered to me the most rather than what was important at the moment. Am I bothered by criticism and if so, where were the most pain points? I examined my comfort levels, where was I the most uncomfortable and why? I even looked at it from a wider view, am I even pursuing things in my life that genuinely make me happy or am I chasing someone else’s dreams? I didn’t mean to second-guess any of the choices or decisions I’ve made, but mindful awareness creates that quiet room in the large noisy buildings of our lives. And in that space, we can simply find the will to look at ourselves all over again.

Mindfulness has many purposes, none so beneficial as for this very reason. While we are seeking conscious presence in our thoughts, emotions, and responses, we start to collect valuable information that our autopilot lifestyle and thought processes tend to overlook. When the repetitive and influential patterns that shape us start to stand out, the contradictions to the lives we want become that much harder to ignore. So that old go-to line, “It’s just who I am” holds a different meaning when we analyze where it’s originating from.

With awareness unchecked, our identities easily are shaped by the expectations we may never have actively chosen, and it quietly strengthens under our conscious radar. Conversely, when it’s recognized, it may confirm many of the things we have become as factual and intentional. What’s important here is that we acknowledge that despite whichever is true, both of these realizations matter. Because to find yourself may not require all the theatrics we see in movies or the idea that we need to reinvent ourselves and become someone entirely different.

I found that it’s important to simply pay closer attention to who we already are and examine ourselves within the life we currently possess. I stopped asking myself that question, “Who am I,” a long time ago. I replaced it with: “Have I become mindfully aware enough to know who I am?” Finding that clarity was one of my Rebirths.

Stay mindful…

Rebirth