Understanding Yourself by Janice L Smith

How much time do you put in, just being with yourself?

With our busy schedules it is often difficult to find anytime for ones self. To truly understand who we are, we need to take time to get to know ourselves on a new level.

Most of us have heard of the idea of meditating or journaling, but why take the time to do them? One of the main benefits of meditating or journaling is a decrease in stress. Learning to take time for ourselves lets our inner self know that we are important in our lives. There is nothing worse than feeling unimportant in someone's life. Our inner self is no different than being in relationship with someone in the outside world.

We are very complex beings with many layers to who we are, in taking time to be with ourselves, we can learn so much more about what is happening inside ourselves. As our inner world, creates our outer world, learning more about our inner world becomes very important.One must learn to be quiet in order to listen to what the inside self has to say. It is not always easy to understand this part of ourselves. One must be patient in order to befriend the inner self. After many years of neglect the inner self does not necessarily step right up to the plate because you have decided to be visit suddenly.

It is like making a new friend outside of yourself, if you don't spend time getting to know them, you will not have a very good friendship.

Your inner self is like this, most people don't now a great deal about their inner selves, for they have not taken time to get to know this part of themselves.

• To begin I would recommend that you make meditation and journaling a daily practice till it becomes a habit. Start with 5 or 10 minutes a day, if that is all you can find time for, then increase it, by increments up to 1 hour. Play soft music, light candles, whatever feels good. This is a special time for you. Honor yourself in this time. Be quiet and listen. If your mind is really cluttered and you can't get it to quiet, pay attention to your breathing, then imagine you have a basket beside you. Dump all the chatter and thoughts into this basket and tell your brain you will pick it up again when you are finished.

• The important part is consistency. It is better to do 5 minutes daily rather than 20 minutes once a week. The brain is very smart and knows if you don't truly commit to it, the brain just needs to be patient and you will give up this silly idea.

• Create a daily practice, be committed to getting to know yourself, be curious about what you might discover, treat it as a new friendship with a person you truly like and want to spend time with and get to know.

• You are valuable and worthwhile getting to know!

Janice Smith
Empowerment Coach
604-921-2882

Author Era of the Rebel, Embracing Your Individuality http://www.eraoftherebel.com
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