Do you know yourself?
Self-knowledge is a never ending process, but keeping the question of knowing yourself in mind can help redirect you towards the right path when you feel lost.
Like in every relationship with others, the QUALITY of time you spend with the other person determines the knowledge you have of each other. It’s not about the quantity—you spend a lifetime in your body and spirit, but this doesn’t mean that you know yourself.
Do you spend quality time with yourself?
Life can be chaotic, between work, family, friends, and social media, but finding quality time to spend with yourself is important to learn your limits, overcome difficult moments and develop successful relationships with others. Try these steps for a better relationship with yourself:
- Remind yourself of your uniqueness: In the vast Universe around us, there is no one like you. You—with your strengths and weaknesses—are UNIQUE and have a unique purpose. Life is about discovering it and fulfilling it.
- Lower your ego and develop compassion: After accepting that you are unique, don’t pump up your ego! Like the Dalai Lama says, in his book “The Art of Happiness,” focus on what makes you similar to others and not on what divides you from them—we all have the same need of food, shelter, and love. Use your uniqueness to do good for others.
- Set big goals: No dream is too big if you are willing to work hard to achieve it and believe in yourself. The challenges you will meet on the way will show you your limits and you will learn how to develop better strategies to achieve what you want.
- Record your achievements: If you struggle with self-esteem, recording your achievements can be a good habit. Every time you succeed in something, little or big, write it down somewhere. Go back to your list, when you feel sad and negative thoughts take over.
- Enjoy doing nothing every now and then: Being Italian, the culture of “Dolce Far Niente” (sweet doing nothing), is part of our DNA. Take some time to sit down on the couch and watch your favorite TV show, or do something that doesn’t require any mental efforts. You DESERVE it because you are a human being, not because you work hard.
- Meditate: If you struggle with the practice because you can’t sit still, “Sahaja” Yoga is a type of meditation which focuses on rebalancing your chakras (the seven spiritual centers in your body). Through a series of gestures, it can help you establish a rhythm. Once you are done with the gentle poses, it will be easier to find stillness.
- Travel (out of your comfort zone): Travel teaches you a lot about yourself and forces you to look into your values and beliefs. We all dream to lay on a paradisiac tropical beach, but that’s not really the meaning of travel—travel is about learning, growing and broadening your horizons.
Originally published at medium.com