Do you know yourself? How well do you know yourself?
In a way, it is so ironic to ask yourself this because you’d think that you would know yourself 110%, however it usually turns out that you don’t really know yourself all that well. I believe that being able to search for yourself is vital. Know your bad habits, goals, experiences, wants and needs. We are all mysteries to ourselves. It’s nothing to worry about because our mysteries can be easily solved, if you try. It can only be solved only if you want to solve it; only if you really want to know yourself. So, have that want!
I have recently created a mind map that allowed me to see myself from my past, the present, and the future. It wowed me. Here’s a mind-map guide for those who would want to dive deeper and seek for treasures.
In the middle of your page, write your full name and circle it. Then, extend it by adding 4 lines that stretch out to the corners of the page. At the end of each of the four lines, write down “Lessons Learned”, “What I Know”, “What I Don’t Know”, and “Priorities”.
In the section of “Lessons Learned”, it’s for you to write down the experiences that have taught you something. Try to relive them. Remember how you felt, and what you learned. Was it a heart-breaking pain? Were there tears streaming down you face? Did your cheeks hurt from smiling? Did you create abs from laughing lots? Write them all down. And then, write down what you had learned from that experience. Every experience we have experienced happened for a reason: for us to learn something. This section allows us to see how strong we are. Experiences have been a huge part of creating who we are.
In the section of “What I Know”, it’s for you to write down what you know. You can write about what you want, and what you need. Write down your known goals and strategies to use. Include your daily routine into it. This will give you a summary of the known parts of your life. You may look at it and be shocked at everything because it will either look so foreign or so familiar. Life throws many curveballs.
In the section of “What I Don’t Know”, it’s for the clouded parts of your life. Have any questions about anything? Note it down. Confused between wants and needs? Include it. Can you see the future, think about the past, or live in the present and feel clueless? Write down those thoughts. Dig deep and find things that make you feel remote to yourself. It helps to physically write and see what is complicated in life.
In the section of “Priorities”, name your priorities. Let yourself know what means a lot to you. What would shatter your glass heart if it were taken from you? Don’t forget to write your name in this section because you are everything to yourself. You have to realize how important and special you are and that you deserved to be cared about. You should also learned to understand what is important and what isn’t.
The sky’s the limit. Add more sections, and think above and beyond.
Afterwards, ask yourself, “How well do I know myself?”. Do you know yourself better after physically seeing your ‘life’? This mind-map can help solve mysteries that seemed difficult at first. Give it a go!