In this day and age it is all too easy to forget who we truly are. We have all of these ego-building, social networking sites, like facebook, twitter, instagram, youtube, pinterest, blogs, etc. and are constantly looking to other people to tell us who we are and give us our identity. We look to others to give us the answers in life about nearly everything. What to eat, when to eat, how to look, what to buy, how to homeschool, how to raise our kids, what our homes should look like, how to be happy, how to be spiritual and anything and everything else.
I’ve noticed this often in life and sometimes have to ask myself, how much am I being myself, my true, individual self and how much of who I am being is really just colored by what I have read or seen or was taught as a child from my parents or from observing the way society works and the way people in society operate? How many of my thoughts and beliefs about the physical and spiritual reality are my own and how much is my life being lived authentically? I’ve been observing how much it truly steals my peace when I am not following my inner intuition and I am looking outside of myself. If I spend too much time at the computer browsing pinterest or looking at other women’s blogs, I never feel too good afterwards. I begin to lose my sense of direction and it becomes all too easy to start comparing myself to others and questioning the way I do things. I learned that a while ago and have stopped looking at or listening to things that steal my peace and are not nourishing for my spirit or helping me be me.
But oh, how easy is it to just search anything on your computer and find a million different answers to whatever questions you may have! You could even search “how to be spiritual” or “how to be happy” and there can be answers from anybody and everybody out there who claim to have found them and can offer you any quick fix to whatever area you feel lacking. There are countless ways to follow others and seek externally for solutions to your problems. And if you don’t even feel lacking or as though you have any problems, I bet if you spent a few minutes at your computer, browsing around, it wouldn’t be too long until you begin to think that you have some.
What I have always believed is that each person is an individual. Each person is unique. We weren’t born to be followers of other people or to all try and be the same and from experience, I can say that being a follower or trying to fit some kind of mold has never felt right to me. I want to be me! I want to know who I am and what I really want. I don’t want to be trying to create myself by seeking externally for a me to be in this world. I want to go inside and find out who I am, discovering and removing all the obstacles that have been placed in the way of my true being as I have accepted different beliefs and listened to so many outside voices and answers, hoping, trusting or believing that they would lead me in the right direction.
I started doing yoga again recently and have never felt so relaxed and in tune with myself. I had taken a break from it all summer long and I had forgotten how enriching the yoga is, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. Those moments in silence, when I am breathing and letting go are the best moments of my life. I feel total peace and harmony, like nothing else matters. All worry, fear and disharmony completely melts away. I am able to step back and observe myself and the way I have been thinking and feeling and identifying so closely with my thoughts and feelings. I am able to realize just how many obstacles that I have placed in front of my own inner peace and just let them go. After an hour or an hour and a half of Ashtanga yoga, I feel centered, calm and able to be the wife, mother and woman that I really want to be. I carry on that peace and attitude of surrender throughout my day and am much more able to be pleasant and present.
My question to you today is do you know who you are? Are you being your true self or is your identity colored by other people’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs? Do you feel open, flexible, peaceful, calm and able to easily let things go and observe yourself in a non-judgmental, loving way? Or are you in the mindset of holding on, staying rigid, getting things done, searching outside of yourself and following others?
Could you benefit from stepping back, unplugging, relaxing and taking the risk of finding out who you really are, letting go of the obstacles in your life to your own inner peace and intuition?
Just an observation from today’s yoga practice that I felt I would share.
Love and Light,
Live. Learn. Love. Eat. 
I think about this often…funny how I thought I was the only person thinking such things. I often feel I need to be more like anyone else but me. I’m really not sure what I am really like. I am so molded and shaped…hmmm. Any suggestions on getting back to the real me?
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Isn’t it funny how so often we feel we are alone in the way we think and feel? I think most of us are more alike than we would believe and that is why I have become less afraid of sharing my thoughts and feelings with the world over the years because I know that I can’t be the only one. I can’t give you any answers, but it has helped me a lot to step back and unplug from the outer world, media and all things that are so stimulating to find out what’s inside of myself, how I truly think and feel and why I do the things that I do. Yoga is great to help me relax and let things go. The practice of being flexible in the yoga exercise carries on throughout my day and I am not so affected by the sway of my thoughts or feelings. I know that I am more than that.
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I did start back to my yoga today as well. Exercise is suppose to be the best medicine. Thanks for sharing Tiffany. You never know when someone might need to hear they are not alone.
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Good for you! Thank you for your encouragement. 🙂
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I too have recently stepped back into my yoga practice and am feeling so wonderful about it.
I am not sure if it is my age, but social media does not get to me the way it gets to other people. I am comfortable with who I am, happy with who I am and for once in my life I am leading the life I want to lead and not worrying about pleasing anyone in the process except myself. I am happy to read the daily ramblings of other mamas, happy to share in their lives through their blogs, Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest, well let’s just say I don’t use it as it was intended so I never get caught up in it. But I never leave someones space or page feeling bad about myself. In fact most times I leave feeling a little uplifted, happy that others are enjoying life as they are, inspired by something someone else has done, or grateful so many people are sharing and giving us a glimpse into their lives.
I live my life in gratitude, and maybe it is in being grateful for the little things, that I can look at my imperfect life and feel pretty darn good about it.
Just a few of my thoughts 🙂
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Love it! I don’t think that those social media things are bad and I think that we have a lot to learn from each other and need each other too. We can’t just sit around and meditate all day either. I think it has a lot to do with why we do what we do and observing our motives is so important. I am glad that you have found what works for you and that I have crossed paths with you in life. 🙂
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Absolutely! I’ve been thinking about writing what an informational overload you can get from browsing the web and everyone’s opinions on what is right. There is NO one right way to do anything for everyone, the world is a diverse place! Taking that quiet time to just be ourselves and listen to our inner selves is very important, I know I don’t do that nearly enough.
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I agree. We are all unique and it is OK. I can feel overstimulated quite easily if I spend too much time browsing around. It is all too easy to lose yourself or forget who you are. We could all use some time to unplug sometimes. 🙂
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I OFTEN think the same thing 🙂 Well said!! I use to be vegetarian, than tried vegan, and raw foods, Was EXTREMELY against vaccinations, I am a doula so I was also VERY much against medicated births and the choices people were making (blindly) about their birth’s. Than one day whilst waiting in line at the grocery store I found myself judging the persons cart in front of us, and my husband actuallty said something like “wow thats really “unhealthy” ” and I had agreed. Later on that day I felt yucky about my life and how I had been sooooo judgemental and realized I CAN”T live my life like that, thinking everyone should live the way I live. Than we uprooted and moved to rural northern saskatchewan and I again was awakened with how I had been living my life. I realized I had taken on SO many other peoples idealism and found myself having major anxiety and feeling as if I was drowning in my own thoughts, but they weren’t actually “my thoughts” per say 🙂 I than starting letting go of these things that were soooo unnecessary and made me “unhappy” I started eating game meat, (although after being vegetarian for so long I still find myself gravitating to that lifestyle) and researched vaccinations FOR MYSELF (we are now doing delayed vaccines). As for births, I need to be open minded and RESPECT other peoples decisions (although I still am a huge advocate on education) I NEED to realized that I am a person that is VERY much influenced on “other peoples” idealisms so I need to be careful not to get sucked back in haha 🙂 I am a Wife and a Mother that needs to be influenced by Christ alone and that is the bottom line 🙂 Everything else will follow.
Thanks for the great post!! I AGREE 100%!!
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Thanks Steph! It is all too easy to fall into judgement of ourselves and others. Thanks also for sharing a bit of your story with me. I know what you mean about your thoughts not even being your own as well. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
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Pingback: Finding My Way Part 2 | Live. Learn. Love. Eat.
following your blog now! 🙂
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Great post… no “like” button… I would be using it a lot… I certainly feel like I am becoming more and more my true self, but it took a very long time and it can be difficult… and I do think the key to a lot of these things is literally inside the body, through yoga, meditation, or other physical/spiritual practices… thanks for your blog 🙂
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Thank you Michael! Comment any time! 🙂
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