Be true to yourself. Nearly every person has received this piece of advice, but do you know who you are? This question requires you to consider both your positive and negative personality traits. It forces you to consider why you do what you do.
Here are three ways to start discovering what makes you, you.
Self-reflection
Meditation might help, but a guided self-reflection is much more beneficial. There are many resources that can guide you in this reflection. Here are three that I recommend:
- 29 Questions to Discover the Real You: This article presents 29 difficult but important questions. You are asked deep, personal questions. Make sure you set aside some time to really focus on answering these questions.
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WikiHow Figure out who you are: This gives you step by step things to help you discover you. It's an easy read and can be followed pretty easily.
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Your VITALS: This stands for values, interests, temperament, around-the-clock activities, life mission/goals and strengths/skills. Understanding these vital parts of your personality will help you discover yourself.
Answering the hard questions about yourself may take some time. Think about each answer carefully before you write it down. If you don't like something about yourself, set a goal to make changes.
Strength's finder
It's helpful to discover what you are good at and where your strengths lie. That's what Dr. Donald O. Clifton strove to help people do. All you have to do is take a quiz and then read the book. The book description says this book is, "loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths ... will change the way you look at yourself — and the world around you — forever."
Personality tests
There are so many out there, but the most commonly used is the Myers-Briggs personality test. I also recommend taking the personality test at 123.com. Understanding your personality type will not only help you understand yourself, but also the people around you. You will begin to understand why you react and act in certain ways.
Each person in the world has a unique personality. You bring something special to the world that no one else brings. Understanding yourself creates more self confidence and that self confidence will cause you to be more sure in your decisions. An anonymous person once said "Many people have said that I've changed. The truth is I just found myself."
