For many people out there, walking the path of life is not much different than exploring uncharted territories. Many of us stop from time to time and ask ourselves questions such as: “Am I doing this right? How is, what I’m doing, contributing to others or me? How do I know that this is what has to be done? If not, is there a guide I can read and memorize?”
These questions are pretty much similar to those trying to reveal the answer that lays behind true happiness. If you are hoping to get a straight answer, you will get disappointed. Life is not that simple to be defined in just one sentence. If you would like to get to know yourself better and be able to find your true path in life here are some questions you will have to find answers to.
1. Why Do You Want to Find Your True Path in Life?
One thing is clear, you want to bring some changes to your life. Being honest about why you want to achieve that can provide you with a powerful incentive that will drive you towards your goals. Write down the things that cross your mind when you think of your whys.
Your reasons should be important only for you. You are a unique person with unique needs and wishes. There is no better way to learn responsibility, but to try and make your own spot in this world. Be open to ask for help and accept it, this way you can strengthen your commitment. You can always consider talking with a psychologist. Together, you can work on setting attainable goals and work on possible issues that are preventing you from taking the first step.
2. What Activities Make You Lose Yourself in Time?
Can you recall the time when you were a child and when your parents literally had to drag you from something you were doing? That child is still somewhere deep inside of you. If you want to give true meaning and purpose to your life it is time to wake it up.
There is a great chance that the school system and social pressures made you think that things you were passionate about weren’t the good ones, money-making wise. But the truth is a little bit different. The opportunities that the internet age provides for everyone are not to be underestimated. This is the right time to try and do what you love the most. The chance to become an expert in something that you love doing are much greater than the other way around.
3. Is This My Choice?
Is this your authentic need or is it something that is trendy and you want to try it out? Ask yourself this question whenever you catch that “I’m a little bit bored right now” thought. Maybe you don’t need to bring radical changes into your life in order to make things more interesting and engaging for yourself. Remember that how we approach certain obstacles can define how we feel when trying to overcome them.
This can apply to every aspect of your life, your career, marriage or social life. You should be aware of the fact that life in this modern world requires us to be able to adapt quickly.
Choosing the right career for you might be of great importance if you want to reach that perfect life path. I recall this career definition I had read somewhere and the part of it states that a career is an individual’s journey through learning, work and other aspects of life. This is why you need to approach this choice with extra effort.
The abundance of possibilities makes this choice almost impossible. Don’t be afraid to consult professionals and take a personality test that can help you choose the right career path for yourself.
4. What is Important to Me?
You can start by writing down what is important to you. Don’t make your list in just one sitting. Take your time. My advice is to start with simpler things, for instance: work out regularly, spend quality time with friends and family, learn to play an instrument etc. From there you can work on more sophisticated ideas: become more assertive, discover little things that make me happy, learn to enjoy the moment, become open to different ideas, become more tolerant and accepting.
Keep this list of precious answers close to you. Remind yourself to read it from time to time. You can even make it a part of your diary and write about what steps you are taking towards achieving these goals. This can result in some valuable insights about yourself.
5. Am I Self-aware?
Do you value constructive criticism? Are you always honest? If your answer to these questions is no, then you need to work on your self-awareness. In the end you will be able to recognize your natural strengths and weaknesses and be able to develop strategies to address them.
Start by thinking about whether you are a detail-oriented person. Do you value structure, independence and autonomy? How do you feel and react when you are faced with something or by someone with a completely different nature?
Try to get an insight into how you feel and how you think in different situations. Think about what you’ve found out. It is very important to get rid of that autopilot if you want to be able to walk the true path in life.
Don’t worry if you are unable to answer these questions right this very moment. Finding your true path in life is a slow process. It will take some time to find and integrate the answers of the questions presented to you. The modern lifestyle puts more focus on the cognitive side of our being, making us neglect our gut feelings. Keep in mind that we are both emotional and cognitive creatures.
In order to find ourselves comfortable walking down the path of life we must be more aware of both our feelings and thoughts and the way we influence others. Know that minor missteps are totally normal and okay. At the end, let me finish by quoting Buddha: “To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.”
Featured photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/users/Unsplash-242387/ via pixabay.com
