When it comes to habits and happiness, I keep circling back to one fundamental truth: to cultivate our habits and enhance our joy, we must begin with a deep understanding of who we are—our unique natures, interests, and temperaments.
It may seem simple to know oneself—after all, you’re with yourself 24/7! But let me tell you, it’s a lot trickier than it sounds. We often find ourselves lost in the fog of who we wish to be, what we feel we should be, or what others expect of us, making it hard to connect with our authentic selves.
The journey to self-awareness starts with being self-conscious. Two brilliant figures, Leo and Sophie, both vividly remember their first moments of self-recognition.
Leo’s Moment of Self-Recognition
In a 1960 interview, Leo shared a defining experience from his childhood: “When I was eleven, I was walking to school, and it felt as though I stepped out of a fog. Suddenly, I realized, ‘I am. I exist.’ I then wondered, ‘But what was I before this moment?’ I realized I had been lost in that fog, unable to see myself as separate from everything around me.” You can catch a glimpse of his interview here.
Sophie’s Reflection
Meanwhile, in her autobiography, Looking Back, Sophie recalls a bright winter day in New York: “There was this little girl, who would eventually become me, but at that moment, she was just a nameless, soft piece of humanity. That day, as she walked with her father, I mark the birth of her identity.”
Do you have a specific memory of recognizing, “I am”? I have a striking recollection of standing on a little stool, gazing into the mirror above the sink in kindergarten. I distinctly thought, “That’s me in the mirror. Right here, right now.” Oddly enough, when I think back to that moment, I visualize myself from afar—I don’t see my face but rather my whole body from across the room.
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In summary, understanding who you are is a journey filled with discoveries. It’s about peeling back the layers of expectations and distractions to find the true you. So, do you remember your moment of self-realization?