I recently attended a seminar led by Rachel Benor titled "How To Know And Love Yourself." Going into it, I thought I knew myself pretty well. I knew my likes, dislikes, and aspirations, but there's more to it all than that. I didn't quite have the understanding that I thought I did.
Following introductions, Rachel began by having all attendees close their eyes and present themselves with a question that they wanted to receive an answer for. We all sat in silence for a few moments, temporarily disconnecting from the outside world.
It seemed that the conflict caused by external challenges dissipated and listening to what the body and mind were saying became easy. Questions arose from my subconscious that I didn't realize were present the whole time, behind the scenes. The outside successfully tuned out many thoughts and concerns so that I couldn't actively address them.
The outside is just as important as the inside. Engaging with the world gives us an opportunity to learn. Even the negative experiences and encounters we face can teach us. What we habitually do is hold the anger and sorrow within us. Once we address it, it's in our best interest to let it be, and keep going. That is how we can continue to grow and thrive.
The seminar was interactive. After Rachel told her story and led everyone in exercises, she opened the floor to questions. The questions asked ranged from "How do I forgive a family member" to "How do I achieve my dream?"
A concept that quickly arose was how we can live in our movie. It's easy to look at the way we fit into others' lives and social structures, but it takes the focus from our lives; our own movie.
Living your own movie doesn't indicate that you are being selfish. Rather, it is a way to bring meaning and make yourself a better friend, daughter, father, etc. to others.
Discovering who you are is not something that occurs overnight. We must be patient with ourselves and listen. After all, we are all works in progress.
I couldn't recommend this more: give yourself just five minutes to listen to yourself. Yes, close your eyes and notice your breath. You'll surely find something you didn't realize was there.
