5 fun ways to remember who you are
The infamous, age old question:
What am I doing with my life?
When I’m feeling lost or confused I try to remember what I was like as a child - before I was heavily conditioned by school, society and directly influenced by media and marketing.
I love this quote by legendary, Charles Bukowski -
Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?
So, if you’re feeling a little lost and confused or feel like you’ve stepped off your path here’s a handful of my top recommendations to rediscover your truth:
Get into the archives!
Put on some tunes and pull out old albums, childhood journals, artworks from school and awards. Look at little You. Look at all the things you’ve experienced. What are you doing in the photos? What did you look like? What did you like wearing - what was your quirky style? What sort of art did you create? What subjects did you excel at? Perhaps some of the photos will trigger memories (good and bad) that help you reconnect to significant feelings that have shaped who you have become. Laugh, cry, cringe and love. Feel the feels and always give thanks!
Hang out with your parents (guardian or family members)
You may not know this about me, but I still live at home! I love living at home and I bloody love my parents. Yes, I am totally spoilt but that’s not the only reason why I live at home. Living at home and spending time with the people who know you best keeps you accountable to your Authenticity. They know you, they raised you …you are FROM them! They know when you’re unhappy, when you’re lying, when you’re in love…you get the point. If you’re feeling confused about your life choices ask your parents. But be prepared for hard truths haha!
Going home and observing your parents can also help you learn about your lineage - unhealthy/ healthy habits, belief systems, genetic strengths and weaknesses, behaviour patterns etc. Once you know better - you have the CHOICE to chose who you become and let go of things that no longer serve.
Reconnect with old friends
Who were your first and bestest friends back in the day? Reconnecting with old mates brings back memories which might help you remember long last parts of yourself. Moreover, think about the type of people you chose to spend time with. What did they value? What was their personality like? I think of my gorgeous friend, Georgina. We were drawn to each other at age five- both incredibly spiritual we become alter servers, played pretend animals and loved acrobats and movement. Twenty-one years on, we’re still totally true to ourselves - we both study meditation, do pilates/yoga and walk our flat-faced dogs down the park!
Take up a hobby!
If you don’t make time for your gifts - they’ll stop making time for you. PURSUE YOUR PASSIONS. Following your passions puts you back on your path. What did you lurrrrveee doing as a child? What were you naturally drawn to? What did you want to be when you were little? Go on, give it a go! Book that acting class, buy an instrument, enrol in that course…
Discover your unique talents - that something you know deep down makes you fuqing epic. For more of us, it’s the thing we least pursue because we’re most afraid to fail at. Let go of your expectations ….time is getting on! Just have fun with it and see what happens.
Give back to the community
If I feel I’m getting a bit too self-obsessed, stuck in my head or ego driven I pull myself back down to Earth with some good old grounded volunteer work! It helps me connect to something greater than myself and rediscover my purpose and what drives me to ‘do good’.
Take a moment and reflect: did you volunteer as a child, join an activist group at school or help a co-worker raise money? If I asked you to volunteer right now - where would you place your energy and time? What would be your cause? What touches your heart?
This blog was inspired by my Year 12 Camp letter. A letter I wrote to my parents, Nikki and Joe when I was 17 years old. A nice little reminder of my True Self.
LOL, enjoy.
