Do you feel you’re sometimes lost or confused? You want to understand yourself but don’t know where you can begin, or begin projects but never complete them? Do you see yourself in the eyes of others? You don’t know who you are or what you want?

Some cultures give no value in knowing yourself, by placing the value on money and status which leaves you limited room to do so. Even though you are told to love yourself, you may not know how. 

Develop the Art of Introspection

Introspection is a process of healthy self-reflection, examination, and exploration. It provides you with the ability to be deeply reflective to the core of yourself, understanding the values you have developed. From there, you are able to decide what the best action is to take for yourself. Introspection allows you to gain a sense of inner power to be who you are. 

By no means this is an easy journey to take; you will experience resistance both internally, and from family and friends. In the process you will experience uncertainty but also a sense of freedom and purpose in life. In addition, you will find yourself making decisions that are yours, which will lead you to fulfill your dreams. You will gain confidence as you move forward in your life.

INTROSPECTION IS A PROCESS OF HEALTHY SELF-REFLECTION, EXAMINATION, AND EXPLORATION. 

How to Begin?

Make some time for yourself, this can be embedded in your daily routine. Begin with 10 minutes and then develop into building a habit of introspection into your life.

1.   Create alone time, which can be in the morning as you’re having your coffee or in bed before you’re out and about. Just make sure you’re not interrupted as you create this time made solely for you.
2.   Start to breathe and become aware of your breathing. Breathing will help you to focus on the present moment and become more conscious of your thinking. Pay careful attention to your breathing as you inhale and exhale until you feel relaxed. 
3.   As you start to self-examine, make a clear distinction between being introspecting and ruminating.  Introspection is a process that is productive, ruminating is nonproductive negative thinking or self-talk and often self-flagellating. When you begin to ruminate, immediately take notice to make a conscious point to stop. This is the time to focus your attention to open-ended questions.
4.   Ask yourself open ended questions, such as those included below. Once you begin from this list, you will find yourself crafting your own questions. Be free and open as you answer, making sure you put no judgment on yourself or your answers. There is no right or wrong answer. If you’re comfortable with writing your thoughts, do so. Recording your answers allows your thoughts to drift and lead to deeper insight and allows for supported recall and reflection of your thoughts. 

•     What are my values that I want to live my life with? 
•     What is important to me? What am I doing about it?
•     What matters most in my life?
•     Who am I, really? (Avoid getting into the trap of “I don’t know’)
•     What am I really scared of? Once you identified your fears ask yourself what is the worst that can happen if I confront my fears?
•     What are the obstacles in my life that are holding me back? 
•     What can I do to move forward and out of my comfort zone? 
•     How can I have the courage to give it a try even if I fail? 
•     Why am I afraid of success?
•     How can I matter to me and not worry about what others think about me? 
•     How can I have direct control over the course of my life?  

5.   Reflecting as you process your thoughts and insights, connect with your feelings. If it feels right or your insight resonates, have confidence  in your thoughts and move forward. You can ask the same question as many times as you need. 

THE JOURNEY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE IT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A GREATER STATE OF HAPPINESS.

 

By becoming more introspective, you are able to have a better understanding of what you want in life. You will naturally be involved in making changes, whether they’re significant or menial. There may be discomfort and fear as you proceed to make changes, but these feelings are normal because you have given yourself permission to move away from your comfort zone into a significant change. The journey is worth it because it will eventually lead to a greater state of happiness.