Self Exploration

One of the most important lessons you can apply in your adult life is to learn to sit with yourself, brutally and honestly. In order to meet the demands and constraints of day-to-day life, we often put on a facade or a mask for others. When left alone with ourselves, we might try to numb ourselves with substances or quick dopamine rushes such as compulsive shopping, binge-watching television, scrolling through social media for hours, or junk food. We may not realize that we have spent years running away from ourselves.

On the bright side, wherever you go, there you are. The process of self-exploration is always available to you. Below, I’ve provided a list of questions to begin the process of sitting with yourself. These questions are best to complete and explore with a licensed therapist.

Questions to begin the process of self-exploration:

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

If you could have anything quickly, easily and now, what would your life look like?

What do you enjoy doing? Thinking about? Reading about? Studying? What section of the bookstore do you gravitate toward?

What are the things that make you happiest?

Think about a time when you felt very fulfilled (work or professional). Why was it satisfying?

What did you want to do as a child?

What do you feel you were put on this earth to do?

What would you like to be known for?

What would you regret not doing, if you never did it? Professionally or personally?

If I didn’t care what people thought, I would

If I were sure I’d succeed, I would

If I weren’t worried about the future, I would

If I had the freedom, I would…

If I could do anything, I would…

What’s been missing for you?