"Self awareness is a trait - or maybe 'practice' is the more accurate way to put it - that everyone can always improve at. It is part emotional intelligence, part perceptiveness, part critical thinking. It means knowing your weaknesses, of course, but it also means knowing your strengths and what motivates you." - Neil Blumenthal

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In a society where everyone is trying to find themselves in the midst of celebrity lives and the everyday ordinary lives many people become unaware of who they truly are and become more robotic and almost a generic copy of someone they idolize. Many people just assume that what they see in the media, whether it be online social platforms or on television, is what they are supposed to be. They assume that they need to strive to be someone that is completely fabricated and a carbon copy of what Hollywood has made up instead of being an authentic individual with their own set of boundaries and tastes. But how does one truly figure out who they are? How does one go about figuring out their own passions, goals, boundaries, tastes, or even their own purpose in life? In all honesty, no one is entirely sure of how to go about this, but there have been numerous ways to figure out oneself to figure out what each individual needs in this world. Because, if we are being honest with ourselves no one is like the person next to them. No one is like their siblings, parents, or friends. And no matter how hard we try to become someone we are not we end up feeling a strange tug in the pit of our stomach saying "stop!" Instead of listening to what society or the media tries to feed us we as a collective must learn our own self worth, our own individual boundaries, our own tastes in whatever media form that surrounds us in our daily life. But how? How do we figure that out? Journaling.

It may seem like a teenager would be doing this sort of thing at the end of the day after getting out of school after a long hectic day, but in fact many adults journal. In fact, nearly 76% of adults were found to have been journaling and to have been therapeutic and helpful in the healing process of whatever they had endured. It might seem ridiculous for an adult to find themselves between the lines of a journal, but in reality it can be extremely helpful in all aspects.

"But how do I start? How do I begin my self reflective journey?" You might be asking yourself. Well, there is no one way. To say that all you need to do is to just start putting a pen to paper would be the easiest way to begin. Start by writing down questions that you are curious about yourself, or list things that you might like in music or potential partners. However, if you are still unsure of what kind of questions you want to ask yourself while you are journaling here are some great beginner questions that you can ask yourself:

What are my strengths and talents?

What am I most worried about?

What am I grateful for?

Where do I want to be in the next 5 years? 10 years?

What goals do I want to achieve this year?

Am I truly happy at the job that I am at?

What are three words to describe myself?

What are my worst ten habits?

Am I living my truth?

Am I happy with myself?

What advice would I give to my *_____ self? (age, example: 19 year old)

What brings me peace?

What am I afraid to do?

What are five things that make me smile?

If I could time travel, where would I go?

What type of music do I tend to gravitate towards?

How would I describe the perfect day?

What is the perfect evening/morning routine for me?

You can grab a journal from pretty much any store nowadays, whether it be Hobby Lobby, Goulet Pen, or Target. You don't have to get a fancy looking journal or pen, in fact, you can just get the standard ones and begin journaling with those.