10 Self Discovery Quotes That Changed My Life
How to live authentically to who you are
Self discovery is such a complex topic because honestly most of us don’t even know what it truly means. I have been reflecting on this idea for a while now because I want to understand what it means to be as Oprah says “the truest expression of myself”. It is important to me to understand who I am to be able to successfully navigate every other area of my life.
I shared My Self Discovery Journey in a previous post and one of the highlights was my shift from living a life where I was constantly comparing myself to others through social media to a life where I became very intentional about who I was and how I spent my time. What I did not realize was that I was self sabotaging myself every time I compared myself to others.
“The way you are self-sabotaging: Mindlessly scrolling through social media as a way to pass the time. What your subconscious mind might want you to know: This is one of the easiest ways to numb yourself, because it is so accessible and addictive. — Briana West, The mountain is you.
Below I have selected this and a few other quotes that changed my life. I hope they will open your mind and help you understand yourself a little bit better.
How To Read Quotes
Honestly, there is no one special way of reading quotes but here is my unsolicited advice.
- Read all of them at once. Then choose one that stays with you.
- Read it out loud for the first time and then silently.
- Write down what comes to mind without any judgement and without trying to organize your thoughts.
- Sit in silent reflection.
- Be inspired into change or action.
How to Live Authentically
“Some say they don’t really know what they are looking for in life. This might be because, instead of getting in touch with how they feel, they have led their lives according to other people’s expectations. Live your life not to satisfy others, but to fulfill what your heart desires.” ― Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm in a Busy World
“Wholehearted living is about engaging with our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion and connection to wake up in the morning and think, ‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.’ It’s going to bed at night thinking, ‘Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.” — Brene Brown, The gift of imperfection
“When we show up differently, so do the relationships and world around us. When we change ourselves, we change our world.” — Nicole LePera, How to Meet Yourself
How to find yourself
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” ― Michelle Obama
“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ― Lao Tzu
“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.”― Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
How to be yourself
“Don’t try to be useful. Try to be yourself: that is enough & that makes all the difference.” — Paulo Coelho, Manuscript Found in Accra
“Watch any plant or animal and let it teach you acceptance of what is, surrender to the Now.Let it teach you Being.Let it teach you integrity — which means to be one, to be yourself, to be real. Let it teach you how to live and how to die, and how not to make living and dying into a problem.” — Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now
“You alone are responsible for what you do, don’t do, or how you respond to what’s done to you.”- Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect
How you are self sabotaging
“The way you are self-sabotaging: Mindlessly scrolling through social media as a way to pass the time. What your subconscious mind might want you to know: This is one of the easiest ways to numb yourself, because it is so accessible and addictive. There is a world-altering difference between using social media in a healthy way versus as a coping mechanism. Mostly, it has to do with how you feel after you’re finished. If you don’t put the phone down feeling inspired or relaxed, you’re probably trying to avoid some kind of discomfort within yourself — the very discomfort that just might be telling you that you need to change.”― Brianna Wiest, The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery
If you were inspired by any of the above quotes then the whole book will be life changing. I would recommend you grab the respective book and add it to your library. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment below or share this post if you found it worthwhile.
Thank you for reading!
Originally published in A Quiet Life & Wellness
