Ways to Learn About Yourself

Ways I Learned About Myself in My Germination Stage

    Germination in a late bloomers life looks different for everyone. Germination can be due to depression, religion, education, being an introvert, or any other life phase. For me germination was due to poverty. Nothing like being unemployed during the recession of '08. I couldn't afford  to finish college, which was a sign of failure. It was completely embarrassing. I returned back to my parents home, shoulders and head slumped down. My refuge from all the pain... the public library. The escapism was blissful. I devoured book after book with a ravenous hunger that never ceased to satisfy. I look back at this time with affection. I had the time to read as much as my little strained eyeball could take in. I spent time in my own world feeling utterly blissful. I dove into story after story learning what I valued, dreaming of who I could be, understanding that I wanted to make people feel what they made me feel. Stories captivated me and suddenly I was always at the movie theater, if I wasn't at the movies I was watching a K-Drama, if it wasn't drama's I was traveling... and eventually I found myself in Italy... watching K-drama's. In that time of keeping to myself I learned so much through about what I loved, what I wanted, and who I was growing to be. Here are some tips that I picked up about ways to learn about yourself.

1. Journal

     Writing has been one of the most transformative exercises that I've done with my life. Writing my feelings and thoughts have helped me exorcise darkness and recognize patterns. Free flowing on a piece of paper and reading it back to yourself can help broaden your perspective about your beliefs and desires. Journaling can be used to track your goals, brainstorm, manifest your dream scenarios, or get some really dark and nasty thoughts that you'll burn after... there really is no limit to what you can do with it.

2. Meditation

        Inhaling and exhaling for the purpose of understanding what your mental and emotional states can do wonders for yourself discovery. There are so many different kinds of meditations so you can experiment until you find the one that you enjoy the most. If you google "types of meditation" 24 options immediately pop-up. Meditations can reveal limiting mindsets, desires, and so much more about functioning in life. 

3. Working out

        Pumping iron can reveal what you're made of. As you push yourself ... or quit, you learn what you value. Working out helped me tap into the physical activities that I enjoyed as a child. I learned what motivated me to get my heart rate up. Discovering what makes you tick is a great rabbit hole to dive in and you might as well do it while pumping endorphins. 

4. Binge Watching

        I know this might be a little odd, but when you watch a show that you become obsessed with... there is a wealth of knowledge of what's engaging in that dopamine. The show may be feeding a need that you're not getting in your real life or it's helping you avoid something that is happening in your life. Either way it is a gateway to a wealth of self knowledge.