In part 1 of this series (read it here if you missed it), I talked about the importance of knowing yourselves. In fact the title of the series is coined from famous words of William Shakespeare, "To thine ownself be true". In this installment I will begin to unwrap practical ways by which you can begin to better know yourself. Once you know who you are; your opportunities become limitless, your potential becomes clear and attainable. You stop beating around the bush and get to that which is important in life. You stop existing and start living. It's OK to know other people, in fact, one of the keys to your success is in knowing all men but above all, know thyself. Know your strengths and your weaknesses. Know who you are, know what you are capable of. Gain confidence in yourself. You may ask, how do I do this? Here are ways to start:
1.)The single most important way of knowing who you are is knowing whose you are. If a puppy needs to know who it is, it doesn't need to look too far. It only needs to look at its parents to get an understanding, an insight if you will, of who it is. Like they say, the fruit never falls too far from the tree. You were made in the image and likeness of God. That says it all. If you miss every other thing, don't miss this. There is a spirit component to you. There is a creative component to you. Your highest calling on earth is to be a son/ daughter of God. And so when people ask, who are you, you should start with. I am a son/ daughter of the most high. This status brings with it certain benefits and responsibility. An earthly prince or potentate has the perks of wealth, convenience, and authority that comes with royalty but he also has the sacred responsibility of upholding the family name. The prince shouldn't be found in compromising situations or be involved in acts that will bring down the family name. So it is with the Christian, so it is with you. I can expound more on this point but I will leave this for another topic. Other ways to help you know who are are include:
2.)Another practical way to help you know yourself better is to: Read books - and lots of it too. Mostly, you should read Christian books, autobiographies of successful people, and authentic self help books. Fiction is good in that it helps with your vocabulary and your imagination, but I wouldn't suggest novels that take your mind into lustful places. Pause to reflect on your life while reading - you will slowly but surely come to an understanding of yourself and your environment. You will understand where it is in life you currently are. What phase of life you are going through. Email me directly if you need a suggestion of books to read (uche@onyxministry.org). The saying is true: Readers are Leaders but let me add to that, readers are leaders because they have a better understanding of who they are.
3.)Listen to inspirational music and messages. Again, reflect while listening. There is something eternal and ethereal about music. I'm yet to encounter anyone who does not like music. They may like differing genres of music, some may not like loud music but they all love music. Listening to a certain song can change your mood from sad to happy and vice versa. Certain songs you listen to can remind you about a major event in your life. And these unique qualities of music combine to make it the perfect elixir for helping you know yourself. What kind of music do you listen to? What genre of music do you like? Loud and high tempo music tend to be reflective of extroverts, of people who love being amongst people most of the time. Slower reflective music is suggestive of introverts, people who love being amongst other people, but not all the time. People who place a high value on their alone time. Which one are you?
Continue to meditate on this question a while. In part 3, I will bring more practical ways to help you know yourself.
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