I began with some tongue-in-cheek fun questions:
How well do you know yourself?
Do you think your journey of self-discovery is over?
Do you ever surprise yourself?
Do you think you are done growing/changing/improving/maturing?
Do you ever over-analyze yourself looking to understand yourself and miss the forest for the trees?
Do you think spending time alone with yourself is wasteful?
Do you have everything you need, or want, to feel whole?
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I moved on into some significant and meaningful, but not quite satisfactory ways of expressing identity:
Do you know what your names mean or why they are significant? Do you have nicknames and why?
Where do your close and distant ancestors originate and what was their culture(s) or path(s)?
How do you identify or choose to describe yourself? How important is it to you, to label yourself in these ways? (gender, orientation, job description, education, relationship status, religion, age, etc.)
Do you embody a patron deity? How does that goddess/god/higher power work in you and through you?
If not: What is your truth? What do you represent/stand for?
What are your values?
What are your boundaries - where do you begin and end?
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Then I asked deeper questions about what else shapes us as individuals.
What are you doing with your time? Do you identify with personal goals or interests? What are you creating? (What comes from your inner being?)
What are the gifts you share, and in which direction are you heading with them?
What are your weaknesses and areas that need nurture and growth?
What are some of your most memorable experiences that have shaped you?
What is the advice you give most often - what are your teachings?
What do you love, what do you attach yourself to or commit to?
Who do you associate with and how do you fit in with them?
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And my favourite question was:
What do integrity and living authentically mean to you?
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I picked out some fun practical exercises for self-exploration to promote practicing, not just talking about the journey but walking it:
Have you ever...
written a memoir?
made a time capsule?
kept a journal?
created a family tree?
made a life timeline?
reflected on key memories?
recorded your dreams?
named your top 3 wishes?
asked people their honest, unapologetic, unfiltered, uncensored opinion of you?
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And these are some resources for further investigation:
http://www.manifestyourpotential.com/self_discovery/0_start_journey_self_discovery/a_journey_of_self_discovery.htm
https://psychcentral.com/blog/questions-to-spark-self-discovery/
https://psychcentral.com/blog/self-exploration-getting-to-know-thyself/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-find-and-speak-your-truth
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If you are feeling lost or broken spiritually and need to bounce ideas about your identity around with someone, I am here.
♥ Jacki