Hey there! Adrienne here, welcoming you back to Live Your Truth Love Your Life. Today, we’re talking about exploring and discovering who you are. I pulled a card from the “Take What You Need” Affirmation Deck by Dani DiPirro. It said, “Now is the time to explore and discover who you are.” Now is the time to explore who you are. This is a message we all need to hear, no matter what we have going on in our lives.
Let’s start with a simple truth – the most exciting adventure you can embark on is the journey to understand yourself. It’s about peeling back the layers, tuning out the noise, and tuning in to your authentic self. So, how do we begin?
First, explore your values. What really matters to you? These aren’t just preferences; they're the core beliefs and principles that guide your life. Take a moment to reflect on what drives you, what you stand for, and let these values be your compass. If you feel like you know your values, but you haven’t reflected on them in a while, now is your time to do it. Life experiences and the wisdom gained shape and change how we see ourselves and the world, so this is something worth revisiting.
Next, let’s talk about desires. Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map will give you a crash course on this exploration. I became a Desire Map Facilitator prior to becoming a Heart Centered facilitator. I use her exercise in my coaching when it can be helpful for my client. Anyways, back to desire. I want you to think about what you genuinely desire – and here's the key – differentiate these from the external expectations placed upon you. When you think about a desire, notice how your body reacts. Does it feel expansive, or does it feel constrictive? This is your inner wisdom guiding you.
Every desire is linked to a feeling. Maybe you want success because you believe it will bring happiness, or you seek love for a sense of belonging. Dive a layer deeper and uncover the true feeling behind your desires. Getting to the feeling is important. That’s your soul, your true self guiding you. We can cling to goals and deires thinking the only way we will have the life we want is if we achieve the thing, but if you can unpack how you want to feel, you’ll become so much more open to the infinite possibilities that will give you that desired feeling. You can still go after the desire, but really this will make the endeavor so much more expansive and things may cross your path that you couldn’t possibly anticipate.
Now, if you’re feeling stuck or unsure, that’s okay. The answers are within you. Don’t roll your eyes. I truly believe we have everything we need to create the life we desire. It’s about silencing the outer noise and peeling back the societal conditioning to find our true selves. Martha Beck calls it your essential self. It’s heart wisdom. It’s intuition. It’s that energy that lives within you.
If you’re having trouble accessing that or you feel blocked, I have some things you can try. These things work for me, but to each their own. Take what you like and leave the rest.
So, what's my advice? Follow your curiosities, the things that bring you joy and peace. These are the breadcrumbs leading you to your true self. And how do you follow them? Through adventure, play, meditation, and journaling. Let me tell you a bit about each.
Adventure, for me, is about experiencing life with wonder and curiosity. It can be exploring a new place or simply walking your usual route with no distractions, fully immersing yourself in the moment. One of the definitions of adventure is: excitement and willingness to do new, unusual, or somewhat dangerous things. The activity doesn’t have to be all of those things. Something new or unusual. Unusual can just be something you do, but you’re doing it differently like the walk example.
Play is about being absorbed in activities that bring pure enjoyment. It’s a state of mind that you experience when absorbed in an activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of sense of time. Play is self-motivated so you want to do it again and again. You're doing it for the sake of doing without expectations. It's purposeless, all-consuming, and fun. By playing, truly playing, I'm reminded of what I like, it allows me to take new perspectives, it's fun, and calming, and it's an amazing way to get out of my head and into my life. It's unique to everyone, so you have to experiment to know what is truly playing for you –it’s a wonderful way to connect with yourself, to explore and discover who you really are.
Sometimes, when I bring up meditation to people that don’t have a meditation practice, they say they “can’t meditate” and I would say you can and you probably already do. The Peloton instructor, Ross Rayburn, has a new book Turning Inward. He talks about how meditation is really just that –turning inward, and you don’t have to be sitting still to do it. I highly recommend it if you’re curious about meditation but it feels out of reach for you. Meditation gives you the chance to be still, to be present without the noise of the world. It’s not about becoming someone else; it's about being more aware, more in tune with your thoughts and feelings, observing them without judgment. For me, it’s a practice for gaining awareness and shifting focus.
And journaling – it’s my go-to for getting thoughts out of my head and onto paper. I’ve been journaling since 2nd grade. It helps me process, understand, and gain clarity. It’s a powerful tool for reflective living, which is heart-centered living, and tuning into your intuition.
So, my friends, now is the time. The time to experiment, to explore, to be curious. You have the ability to uncover who you are and what you truly desire.
If you’re feeling stuck or feel like you could use someone to guide you through all of this, I'm opening up my calendar for FREE Momentum Monday coaching sessions. For the next four weeks, I'm offering complimentary one-hour coaching sessions on a first-come, first-serve basis to help you keep momentum toward your 2024 goals. If you’re listening to this in real time, this will be from January 22 until Feb 12, 2024.
What sparked this for me was being bombarded by stories about “Quitter’s Day”, which was January 12. There’s a day dedicated to the time in the new year where people generally give up on themselves.
⚡But what if you decided to do things differently this year?
⚡What if you didn’t let the expectations of others dictate what’s possible in your life?
⚡What if instead of going after the things you “should” want, you uncovered what you truly desire for your life?
⚡What if instead of giving up on yourself, you created a way to stay the course?
If you’re looking to gain clarity, find direction, or simply take that next step towards a dream that’s on your heart, i know you can benefit from one of these sessions. The link is: https://adriennecrowley.as.me/momentummondays
If you go to my website, www.AdrienneCrowley.com, there’s a banner at the top of every page with a link to the schedule.
Maybe you’re listening to this in June, and Momentum Mondays are over. Not to worry, I always offer a free 30 minute introductory to coaching call. You can use the time as a mini coaching session or ask me any questions you might have about coaching.
Some of the things I coach people on include:
✨Figuring out what you truly desire for your life
✨Trusting yourself to make more confident decisions
✨Letting go of who you "should" be
✨Taking action toward things that light you up
✨Letting go of the limits you're putting on your potential
If you want to work on any of those things, book a session!
Thank you for joining me today. Remember, now is the time to explore and discover who you really are. Until next time, live your truth and love your life.
Deep Dive into Self-Discovery:
- Identify Your Core Values: What are the principles and beliefs that truly resonate with you? List them out and explore why they are important to you.
- Reflect on Your Desires: Think about what you deeply desire in life. Focus on how these desires make you feel. Are they expansive and fulfilling, or do they feel constrictive?
- Differentiate Desires from Expectations: Separate your true desires from external expectations. Which aspirations are genuinely yours, and which are influenced by societal norms or others' opinions?
- Uncover Emotional Drivers: Behind every desire is a feeling you believe it will bring. Identify these feelings and contemplate how they align with your true self.
- Explore Moments of Authenticity: Recall moments when you felt most authentic and true to yourself. What were you doing? How can you incorporate more of these authentic experiences into your life?
- Envision Your Authentic Life: Imagine living a life fully aligned with your true self. What does it look like? How does it differ from your current life?
Take your time with these questions. Sit with them, revisit them, and most importantly, act on them. It’s time to turn your insight into action.
There are no limits to this exercise - let your mind roam free, and be as detailed and creative as you can. The more vivid your visualization, the more tangible your dream will feel.
This is your time, your moment, your opportunity to make magic. Believe in your own potential, and let's see where this journey can take us. Happy journaling!