The Journey to YOU

The road to self-discovery is as long as life itself. And it’s a most fascinating journey!

At its essence, self-awareness is the ability to know oneself deeply — to recognize our strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and motivations. But as we travel through life, our strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and motivations change. Our experiences and the people we meet leave an imprint, and our very being shifts as a result.

So, how do we go about understanding ourselves better?

Here is an exercise that I have done many many times over the years with hundreds of people. Each time, it reveals new understandings, patterns and details. It’s called, “The Journey Line.”
 
Start with a piece of blank paper. 11x17 is great, but even an 8.5x14 or 8.5x11 will do!
 
First, draw a line down the middle of the paper (on the long side) and note the day you were born on the left. Leave a little space on the far right.
 
Now, start to make note of significant events and people in your life. Some of these may be high-points so put them above the line.
 
Others may feel like low-points, and you may want to put these below the line.
 
The result will be a squiggly line that goes above and below your center line, with lots of notes about the events and people who have shaped your experiences.

Here’s a tip: for any experience that you note below the line, make a note above the line about what you learned from that event or person. That can help turn any low point into a high point!
 
There is SO much information that can appear on your journey line! You’ll probably find that the longer (or more often) you do this exercise, the more details you remember and the richer your journey line becomes!
 
Don’t worry if no one else can read it. This is YOURS and it only needs to make sense to YOU. When you feel finished, step back and get some perspective.
    •    What are the big lessons you have learned?
    •    What themes do you notice?
    •    If you are a hero on a journey, what is your “quest?”
 
As I have done this exercise over the years, I have noticed several things.

1. I have learned that I tend to try new things often, and while that is a natural part of how I am wired, I may have missed some opportunities to go deeper with certain topics, and even in getting to know certain people.
2. A theme in my life is individualism. I tend to choose circumstances and experiences that are somewhat “solo” in nature- from being an independent contractor rather than an employee, to being a runner rather than opting for team sports, and traveling on my own rather than with groups. This is likely a mirror for how I approach many things. (So many lessons there!)
3. When I really think about it, my quest is truly to help people discover themselves and carve out their best life.

I’d LOVE to see your journey line and hear your story. Would you share? Send me your picture and your story!