Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and found it difficult to recognise the person staring back at you? You feel like you are a shadow of yourself like you are less than what you used to be. What happened to me, you ask yourself. I have been at this crossroads a few times and I had to steer my life back to where I left off. There is yet hope for you, you will need a lot of courage to take this journey to finding yourself again.
Feeling lost like you have lost your footing and you are floating adrift, going through life aimlessly is a phenomenon that happens so very often in life. A person could experience it multiple times during their lifetime, depending on what they have had to deal with. It may seem impossible to you at the moment but you will get through this phase and you will be the better for it.
When you feel the need to find yourself again, it means you have a mind of your own, you expect better for yourself instead of being on the lookout for someone to latch on to and continue the cycle. Knowing and accepting that you are lost are baby steps towards discovering how to find yourself again.
Why do I feel lost?
There are as varied reasons for feeling lost as there are circumstances that give rise to it. They include:
- The loss of a relationship or friendship (especially a toxic one).
- Divorce.
- Allowing other people to make decisions for you and in essence, having control over you.
- Quitting or being fired from a long-time job.
- Grieving for someone that was close to you and you need to move on without them.
- When you have been a stay-at-home mom for a long while and your children are now grown.
- When you have achieved your goals and you need to set new ones.
- When you have been in the same spot in life for too long and you become frustrated because you are not making progress.
- When you have settled for less than you deserve for far too long until you realise that you can do better than where you are.
What does it mean to find yourself?
To find yourself means to know who you are and your reason for being. It is a process every one has to go through if they are to live at their full potential. In order to find yourself you need to know who you are, what your values are and what you can offer to the world around you.
Why it is important to find yourself?
You will be truly happy when you find yourself instead of mindlessly going through the motions of life. Finding yourself again and connecting to who you are will give you a new zest for life, a more optimistic approach to the curves that life throws at you, put a spring in your steps and compel you to live a meaningful and purposeful life. Also, you will no longer feel the need to live up to other people's expectations or be a people pleaser.
Steps to finding yourself again
- Own your actions: take responsibility for the events that led to where you are right now. No one made you do anything; accept that you stopped being true to yourself, you lost direction for your life and you let yourself stray from the path you were treading. Also, no one is perfect, you have to accept your imperfections too. Owning all that you are; warts and all is a crucial step towards finding yourself again. This way, you will be able to strengthen the positive aspects and be aware of the triggers that showcase or magnify your negative traits.
- What activities or career path holds your interest? Discovering where your interest lies is a path to finding yourself and your purpose. Write down your goals and take steps to accomplish them no matter how little it may be. Take it bit by bit until you get to where you want to be.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle: be mindful of what you eat, exercise and avoid negative lifestyles. When your body and mind are healthy, you will have one less thing to worry about and be more attuned to getting to know yourself again.
- Go on an adventure: travel to a place you have not been to before and alone too so that you can focus on yourself. A slow-paced environment is ideal so that you can tune out the bustling noise of your everyday life and listen to yourself.
- Change the way you talk to yourself: tune out all the negative vibes you have been allowing your mind to dwell on because of past failures, love yourself and speak kindly to yourself and silence negative thoughts. Try daily affirmations to reprogram your belief system.
- Try new things: and get involved in activities that are outside the confines of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to do something you have always wanted to do but have been afraid to try. We learn every day, you may discover something new about yourself.
- Find your purpose from your creator: God did not create you as an afterthought, it was deliberate and to accomplish a purpose. Study the Bible, find what it says about purposes and wait on him in prayer.
- Seek professional help: to assist you on your journey to find your way through the maze of life to who you truly are. There are trained coaches and counsellors who can help you rediscover yourself and your purpose.
Quotes about finding yourself again
Your real self may be hiding somewhere, look for it within, when you find yourself, you can freely be what you want to be.
Michael Bassey Johnson
You will recognize your path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.Jerry Gilles
Discovering who you are today is the first step to being who you will be tomorrow.Mustapha Lanre Idreez
The greatest discovery in life is self-discovery. Until you find yourself you will always be someone else. Become yourself.Myles Munroe
You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is.Billy Graham
Believe in yourself again and again to find yourself.Debasish Mridha
To find yourself, think for yourself. Socrates
All the wonders you seek are within yourself.Thomas Browne
Some steps need to be taken alone. It's the only way to really figure out where you need to be.Mandy Hale
Adventure can be an end in itself. Self-discovery is the secret ingredient that fuels daring.Grace Lichtenstein
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