How to find out who you truly are as a person today

How to find out who you truly are as a person todayHow to find out who you truly are as a person todayWe live in a culture of proclamations rather than self-inquiry.In ur late teens, we have to decide what we want to be - a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or a writer. We pick a professional identity based on our whimsical teenage interests that often guides the rest of our lives. This isnt inherently bad, but it reinforces a potentially fabricated sense of self.All of this happens at a time in life when we should be asking an important question insteadWho am I?In Eastern culture, there is a strong emphasis on looking within to find your authentic self. What energizes you? What makes you happy? How do you walk a personal path that will be fulfilling and noble?Most of us in the Western world arent asking the right questions.Instead, we focus on the surface things that dont really matter - fancy job titles, shiny cars, trendy restaurants, and the newest tech. Things that most often have nothing to do with who we are.Heres how to start the hard work of finding out who you really are under all the noiseYoure the hero of your own story. Find out what makes you tick.Deep down, we long to be the people we read about in the classic tales.Movies, books, fantasy games, and video games allow us to imagine our lives as someone else, which feels good. But watching Luke Skywalker wield a lightsaber isnt the same as learning kendo yourself. Cheering for Spiderman as he swings across a cityscape is nowhere near as cool as swinging from a vine yourself in the Amazon. Dancing is fun, yet weve relegated it to a sport we observe on a screen rather than an activity that fills us with joy.The problem with the modern world is that the stars get to have all the fun.The thing is, you dont have to be Lance Armstrong to ride a bike. Lots of people enjoy cycling through the scenic countryside without holding world records. Youre the hero in your own life story, so its time to stop discounti ng what really gets you excited.Finding our true personality is the key to finding meaning and purposeAs we identify the connections to our inner selves, we tap into a contagious wave of energy. We can see when someone is activated, and we are drawn to them. Were impressed, influenced, or motivated by people who are vibrantly alive. They rub off on us and remind us of something we long to be.When we find the spark that ignites our spirit, we begin flowing with vitality and people can see it in our eyes.If time, money, and distributions-mix werent a factor, what would you do with your time?Once you figure out what you truly enjoy, you can begin to make an action plan to incorporate more of that into your own life. Start by asking yourself the following.?What would I do without anything standing in my way??What can I do to go there? ?What are the obstacles??Is it a real or a perceived limitation??How can I transform these obstacles??How can I change my current lifestyle to accommodate this and move toward the goal?Start to curate a life thats fun to live and filled with good stuff every day. That way, you wont need to fantasize about being Superman.Once you figure out your priorities, youll have more energy, time, and money to also go on all the adventures you desire. Youll have more levity in your daily life. Youll know that youve arrived when your home life and your vacation time feel about the same.Life should be a wondrous flow of experiences, lessons, adventures, and opportunities to spread goodness. But to get there, you first have to nail down your priorities and let go of whats holding you back.Once you do, youll experience joy wherever you are.Take a (well-deserved) breakTreat your vacation time as a mini-sabbatical.What I mean by that is, dont waste your valuable time off on bus tours of yet another touristy town. Pick a place where you can be at ease and get into a book or some personal work, or just catch up on sleep. Ask yourself what you need and a llow yourself to drink from that fountain.Say, for instance, youve always wanted to see the pyramids in Egypt. Okay, thats a one-week vacation. You dont need to upend your entire life to take a trip, even if it feels difficult to imagine because your life is heavy with responsibility.One week should suffice for most people, and thats not too hard to get in todays world. If you have small kids, take turns with your spouse or a friend to watch them. Take mini trips as often as you can, and make a plan for more extended time off when feasible.I treat Sundays as micro-sabbaticals. I do only what feels natural, and I try not to make any plans. This at least gives me some space to relax and let the day unfold. Because I have kids, the day still involves running around, but at least they can get some unstructured time to play and explore as well. Do it as a family and savor it.This article was originally published on Quora.close dialogAdvertisementclose dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-10 12255 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012255 */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close z-index 2-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from -ms-transform rotate(0deg) to -ms-transform rotate(360deg) -moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from -moz-transform rotate(0deg) to -moz-transform rotate(360deg) -webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from -webkit-transform rotate(0deg) to -webkit-transform rotate(360deg) keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from transform rotate(0deg) to transform rotate(360deg) bx-close-inside-1012255 top 0 right 0 /* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012255 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *first-child padding 0width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative background-color transparent.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255. bx-active-step-1 .bx-close stroke whitebackground-color blackborder-style solidborder-color whiteborder-width 1pxbox-shadow 0px 0px 0px 3px black.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-3RBnJGC position absolutetop 50%left 50%transform translate(-50%, -50%)z-index -1.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-wryzWV5 width 55px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-wryzWV5 *first-child animation-name bx-anim-1012255-spinanimation-duration 800msanimation-iteration-count infiniteanimation-timing-function linear.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-me4p1bl padding 10px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-ZdLO37u width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-ZdLO37u *first-child padding 2px 4pxfont-size 10pxcolor rgb(255, 255, 255)text-transform uppercasebackground-color rgb(0, 0, 0)background-color rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34).bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px