I Know More About You Than You Know About Yourself

Who Am I?

‘I know more about you than you know about yourself’, says my son in the middle of a playful banter.

The theme tune from the movie Jaws starts playing in my head signalling impending danger.

Duunnn dunnn… duuuunnnn duun… duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn dunnnn

My mind is racing. All sorts of scary images are running through my head at full speed. What does he know? How does he know?

Relax. He does not know.

“Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me but who I am and what I need – is something I have to find for myself.” – Chinua Achebe

Spending a lot of time together and giving up small bits of freedom can rub people the wrong way. Your identity becomes fragile and you become vulnerable. The mind sometimes plays tricks. Rather than being alarmed, turn your thoughts into a sense of discovery and adventure and re-invent yourself.

While others have a glimpse of who you are, little do they know that there is more to you than what they see. You are not a static being. What you are thinking now is creating your future life. Positive thoughts are powerful. If you focus your thoughts on something bad, then negative things will happen. Choose the right thoughts to change your life in a positive way.

The Importance of Learning

Growing up, I liked reading the dictionary. Now, you are most likely imagining a younger version of me with a heavy book full of incomprehensible words – strange and nerd would come to mind. I learned the longest word: pneumonoultramicroscopicsiIicovolcanoconiosis, a lung disease similar to silicosis and contracted from inhaling particles from a volcano.

I searched for the adjectives that would describe me best: sweet, chatty, loud… obnoxious at times. Did you know that it takes approximately a minimum of forty-one hours to read the entire content of a dictionary? Even at my young age, I was clever enough to know not to do that in one sitting. I did not want to be driven to the edge of madness.

Now I have Google at my fingertips.

‘Hey Google. Who am I?’

Lifelong Lessons

Often you get attached to insignificant things and want them to stay the same way because you are afraid of change. You need to learn to be aware of your feelings rather than to squash them. By observing what I constantly feel and not reacting out of old habits, it has enabled me to gather a new sense of direction. By facing my fears and letting go of my obsessions (no bread baking for a week), I have learned to focus on my goal and leave room for personal growth.

‘I know who I am. Not who you think I am. Not who you want me to be. I am me.’ – Brigite Nicole

Over To You

Ask yourself who you think you are and what you want to achieve. What is your deepest desire? What is your purpose in life? Do you have any character traits and personal qualities you may not have discovered yet? By being aware of your feelings and emotions, you will find your true self.

Take a few moments to think of all the adjectives that describe you. This is not an exercise to discover who you are or what is buried underneath but easing your way to what you would like to experience in the future. You have the power to change anything because you are the one who chooses your destiny. It does not matter who you are or where you are, learning about yourself will give you whatever you want.