The Courage to Discover Self
Study the heart and the mind of man, and begin with your own. Meditation and reflection must lay the foundation of that knowledge, but experience and practice must, and alone can, complete it. ~Lord Chesterfield
The older I become, the more I realize what is meant when I hear people say that youth is wasted on the young. So much energy is put into finding ones way in life, creating careers by polishing ourselves through a good education, or specializing in some deed, and than promoting ourselves at every turn. Although it is very necessary for all these steps to be taken to live a relatively happy and successful life, especially for young people, necessary indeed to have goals in life and pursue them with vigor and relative success, I can’t help but wonder, how much true self-understanding is developed during this process. Perhaps it is an unfolding of knowledge into wisdom by those who go past this stage, by those who choose to seek greater meaning and real honesty for their existence. Chronological age has little to do with this decision.
Some who have been tremendously successful in their careers and have gained unprecedented financial freedom have also given us some honest insight into their lives. While they have found rewards in the material world, they often find themselves lacking joy and happiness, or, even lacking a true connection to who they really are. That is a tragic way to live. Yet, it is certainly not impossible to change no matter what their age or where they are at in life. That is the beauty of being human. We can change our minds about ourselves and our lives as many times as we see fit.
Any kind of discovery takes a lot of work. Discovering your own profession, be it as a laborer, a healer, an architect, a scientist, an artist, an actor, or an educator, takes a lot of work through pursuing the skills and education needed to make that dream come true. No less important, and perhaps even more so, is the pursuance of understanding oneself and ones own existence.
I love what St. Augustine once said:
“People travel to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and then pass by themselves without wondering.”
We have been given a gift: Ourselves! This gift is worth exploring. The possibilities of its discoveries holds no end.
Some might be tempted to call this journey of true self-discovery, narcissistic. I can not disagree more. It is the key to great thinkers and great human beings. It is a journey not filled with self adulation’s but rather a deeper look into oneself; a look of honesty and true introspection. It is a journey of true humility.
On this path of discovery, it becomes clear that human beings are multifaceted and immensely complicated. Within each of us resides a vast amount of light – the potential to create good and love in this world, and at the same time, within each of us lies unlimited amount of darkness – that which causes humans to inflict pain, hate, and destruction on each other and on this world. It takes enormous courage to want to discover oneself to its fullest. It takes vast amount of strength and bravery to look into the darkest corners of our hearts and minds, without trying to cover up or hide. Through looking at the darkest parts of who we are we can make a choice to change, or not. I have the highest regards for those who see themselves as they are. Moving along in life they find ways to harness and change that dark part of themselves into something good; something that is supportive of who they are and want to be; something that is life giving and not destructive.
When one embraces faith as part of their journey, they will come to believe that the light, the good in them, the ability to create and built instead of destroying, is greater in them than the darkness that wants to display itself in and through us. Conscientiously a choice is made which way to project ourselves into the world. The choice is always deeply personal and always our own. Always, our own!
Bruce Lee once said that, “All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.” This is not only true in the martial arts but also true about the human spirit, soul, and character. Anyone, who wishes to grow and change, no matter how young or old they are, can do so by being open minded, flexible, and most of all deeply honest with themselves. It is the truth of ourselves to ourselves that will set us free from self imposed prisons and torments of restricted believe systems and ill managed relationships.
Knowing your own strength comes with the discovery of who you are. Truly knowing yourself gives you the perspective you need to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. Being yourself allows you to grow and explore; through understanding yourself comes a greater understanding of the potential that lies within. I believe this kind of life lends itself to truer happiness and much greater satisfaction.
It is never too late to become what you might have been. ~George Eliot
