Getting to know your Inner Self

So this journey that I’m on is a life journey; yes learning to love yourself is actually a life journey. It’s not a New Year’s Resolution that you start and then by mid February you just forget all about it.

This journey takes time and it isn’t always easy because as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs when you start to dig down below the surface and get to know the real you, your Inner Self, it’s not always pretty. But learning and getting to know your inner self is extremely important! How else are you going to become the person that God has intended you to be?

Sometimes you may not even know where to begin because we hide behind so many layers. Other times the layers are so thick that we no longer remember when real has transitioned over to fantasy and when fantasy has transitioned over to falsehood.

I don’t believe that we purposely try to cause any hurt or harm to ourselves or anyone else, but hiding is one of the mechanisms we tend to use to protect ourselves. We feel hurt, insecure, and unsure so we retreat deep into the layers for protection. Not realizing that the deeper we go the harder it becomes to be true to ourselves, to love ourselves, to even nurture ourselves.

I was reading an article the other day, Nurturing the Inner Self, by Deb Dorchak that talked about so many things that hit home for me. Below is just a small portion from the article but I encourage you to click on the title and check out the entire piece.

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Having a negative outlook seems to be the easier choice for some people because it is much easier to complain and give up than to be optimistic and persist against all odds. Perhaps you will feel an immediate release of pressure, but because you have not handled the situation appropriately, it will most likely haunt you. Choosing the positive route is more difficult, but the rewards usually present themselves in life changing, long term results.

When trying to nurture your inner self, it is important to be aware of the types of people you keep in your inner circle. Take a good look at your friends and family; are any of them chronic naysayers? Are they always putting you down? Alternatively, do they support you and try to build your self-esteem?

Once you are aware of negativity, you will find that being around negative people can be draining. Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly on the defense in this crowd trying to protect yourself. Perhaps you have learned to deal with your mother’s criticizing words or your friend’s constant negativity towards others, but your inner self is cringing and feeling hopeless in their company.
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Getting to know your Inner Self and then being true to your inner self is just another part of the journey that we are all on…….together!

Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women