Self-discovery: Week 4

Traversing the road of self-discovery, we have reached the end of the month. We are aware that this journey is alleviating, ever evolving and obligatory for our mental and emotional well-being, growth and development. Hence it mandates the process to be never ending irrespective that we are drawing close to the end of our monthly theme.

This week I would like to share with you some external sources that I found exceptionally valuable for self-discovery.

Most of us would have heard the tale of “Androcles and the Lion”. But I am sure none of us would have interpreted the thorn (that got stuck in lion’s paw) as our unidentified worries, unknown fears or unwarranted feelings of regret, guilt and humiliation that are capable of turning us into an aggressive, unruly and frenzied lion if we lack acumen to rationalize our own misery.

Interesting, isn’t it?

What happens if we fail to identify the thorn?

What happens if we make an incorrect diagnosis of the thorn, that is, our behavioral or emotional problem or if we try to ignore it?

I came across this video that beautifully uses the story of “Androcles and the Lion” to highlight the significance of self-discovery or introspection in our lives. It can certainly change your perspective towards those issues which we keep ignoring all the time. It proclaims, “The art of living is to a large extent dependent on our ability to locate our thorns accurately and at the right time.”

Do watch the video here.

Another useful resource that I stumbled upon is a survey of character strengths. VIA Institute of Character conducts free, online, psychometrically valid survey of character strengths. It is a simple self-assessment that provides a great deal of information to help one understand one’s core characteristics/ qualities through a set of 120 questions.

You can take the survey here.

Self-discovery is as essential as it is to eat or sleep. It has the potential to transform our outlook towards life, inject positivity in our attitude and surge the percentage of happiness and contentment in our everyday lives. By delineating our strong traits from ‘not-so-strong’ ones, our expectations from self as well as others get balanced thereby reducing the probability of resentment, rage and frustration.

I am extremely grateful to all of you for extending your support in this journey for last one month. I hope all the posts in last month have proved beneficial to you in some way or the other. I look forward to the same support and guidance in future as well.

Happy self-discovery to all my lovely readers!