How Much of Me is Me?
- Pathways of Possibility
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
From the time we are born, we are subject to outside influences that shape us in one way or another. So how much of us is really us? Here Teresa Sullivan offers her thoughts.
Sensing One's Self
“No, no, no. Do it this way.” Has anyone ever said this to you? So much of our life, we are expected, instructed and directed to conform.
As a baby, you watch your parents and do as they do, absorbing like a sponge the fundamentals of living. It gives you a good start in life. This continues in school, religious communities, work life, family life, neighborhood life and society at large.
Somewhere along the way, it is possible to lose your sense of self. Have you ever noticed yourself biting your lip or fidgeting in a way that one of your parents used to do? And it surprises you? Maybe you’ve wondered in a moment like that, “How much of me is me?”
I am grateful for the teachings I have received which gave me a good start in life. Yet our teachers are on their own life journeys. What is mine? What is yours?
It seems that if we want to discover our purpose in life, it must begin with tuning into our genuine selves. So where to begin? How can one sense the life inside?
A wise man once said, “Speak so you can discover what’s in you.” Whether you talk to yourself or with someone else, I’ve come to discover that being very interested in what I may uncover is the point. Listen to yourself with bated breath.
Another way to prompt self-discovery is to write. You can put a question at the top of a page and then try answering your own question. When an inner wisdom appears, it will resonate. Every time I pass by my co-worker’s desk, I smile as I read his mug which says, “Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice.”
Speaking of advice, a good one I remember is, “Change your stride and meet a stranger.” In other words, do something differently, alter a pattern, and perhaps it will cause you to discover something new about yourself. It can be as simple as meeting people’s eyes when you pass them in the hall, if you usually look away. That is something I am working on which is most certainly a “work in progress.”
It is so important to give oneself the very best chance in life. Making it a point to foster belief in oneself is a great place to start. And what better place is there to begin than discovering what you are like?
If you enjoyed this article, you may also wish to read Teresa's writings A Moment to Carry Me Through, A Glimpse Into How Our Energy Systems Work, or Help from Out of the Blue — or watch her video Slowing Down With Nature: The Magic of Slowing Down and Connecting.
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