The Self-Discovery Digest

If someone were to ask you to describe yourself, how would you respond? If you are like us, you might start with facts about your roles and relationships.

Thus, we might begin by sharing that we are:

• writers
• sisters
• residents of St Paul, Minnesota.

If we wanted to refine this definition of who we are, we might mention that we:

• have advanced degrees
• have training in psychology and education
• help facilitate peoples’ personal and professional growth.

If we stopped there, you would have discovered a little something about who we are, but it would lack a certain depth. Further, rattling off these facts does not require self-reflection. Self-discovery, the topic for this blog, is about seeking to define ourselves in terms of our motivations, beliefs and values. And while factors such as place of residence, career background, and gender certainly play a role in shaping aspects of who we are, they are only some of the many influential factors.

The approach in our posts will be to examine ways of discovering what makes each of us tick as well as what might keep us going. Our aim is to share methods that can be used to explore what makes us unique, what brings us joy, and what makes us feel fulfilled – things that reach deeper than what might fill a resumé, loan application, or birth certificate.

We tend to think that self-discovery has to be the by-product of some momentous change or life-altering event, and sometimes this is the case. However thinking of it in those terms may preclude us from taking advantage of the opportunity to grow from day-to-day life. Instead of waiting for or needing the “big event," join us to explore how everyday moments can evoke realizations about what matters to us. With this spirit in mind, try out the self-discovery tool below.

Self-Discovery Tool Number One
How do you define yourself? When you think about the phrase, "It is important to me that I am…," what are the key words that come to mind? Generous, playful, and forthright? Responsible, kind, and efficient? Share your thoughts with us.