Finding the Real You
March 30th, 2008 by Andrew BolisFrom a young age we are shaped and molded by our parents, relatives, friends, society and the media into a certain image. Of course most of the time your parents want the best for you. So do your relatives and your friends. However it’s important to point out that what’s best for you is a very subjective matter, and in many cases depends on the source of advice. For example, your parents might think that it’s best for you to go to a 4 year college and get a degree. However that could be a waste of time especially if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, and already have a few business ideas/plans you would like to try out.
Think about what defines you. Is it your style of clothing? your career? your relationships? your ideas/views/opinions on things? Did you really pick your style of clothing? Most often advertising, the media and celebrities tell us what to wear, and we don’t dare to object. A quick example is how baggy clothing became very popular among young men with the rise in popularity of hip-hop and rap music. A lot of them dress/talk/act/think like gangsters. Very interesting. What about your career? I remember taking one of those personality tests in high school which recommended a few career paths for me. I remember this heavily influencing the major I chose in college. While I think such tests can be useful, at the same time they can be very limiting. Each one of us has a unique background and set of experiences, who says a standardized test will work for every single one of us? What about your relationships? do you actively choose your friends? For most of us, unless we are naturally social butterflies, more often we settle for those who are willing to be our friends. And we tend to stick with them for a long time. What about improving your social skills, meeting lots of new people regularly and having the opportunity to pick and chose your friends? What about your ideas/views/opinions? are they truly your own? or are they ones that were made popular by society and your surroundings?
I hope at this point you are starting to realize that maybe you have been living a life that’s not truly of your own choosing. So how do you find the real you? Plain and simple, you find the real you through first hand experience. You simply have to regularly get out of your comfort zone and try new activities, travel, take on new hobbies, meet new people, learn new skills etc. First hand experience will help you find the real you, since most of who you currently think you are is usually based on second hand experience or advice.
April 5th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
This is a brilliant post. lots of questions out there. If one takes the time to jot down the questions and answer everyone of them - self realization would occur.