Your Journey To Self Discovery
Your Journey To Self Discovery
Dr. Lisa Christiansen
There’s an old adage that says the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single footstep. Today, I’d like you to take that initial step with me on the journey of your personal empowerment. Start by grabbing a mirror. Now, I would like everyone to hold up the mirror and on a piece of paper write down what you see? Who is that person in the reflection?
The image in the mirror is only a reflection of you but even so it is one of the most powerful images one can see. Who are you? Looking at this mirror and really observing the image is the most important thing you will take away from what I am sharing with you now as we begin your journey to personal empowerment.
I have prayed for only one person and each of you are that one person. Despite all the messages we get bombarded with on television, in fashion magazines and even from that annoying little inner voice, the person you are looking at in the mirror is special. You are enough. Not only are you one of a kind, but also by going on this journey with me you will see that by being the best version of you is truly powerful. You are beautiful. You are strong.
As you accept your authentic self and allow your inner beauty to be reflected I thank you for being that one person God intends for you to be. As you read this please understand that we are now a team of one. Now you can understand we have disproved Einstein’s theory that the number one is the loneliest number. One in this sense is anything but lonely. From this day forward always remember if you find yourself by yourself, which is going to happen to all of us, you are not alone. You are not alone because all that you need is within you. Think about the reflection of the person you observed in the mirror. Think about the strengths and special characteristics you wrote down as you looked at the reflection in the mirror.
Now and forever have faith in yourself when ii comes to making a decision. Listen to that inner voice and trust yourself. Are you the person driving a car in the rain that waits until they see two or three other cars with their windshield wipers on to know that it is okay to turn theirs on? If so now is the time for a change, be confident in the individual you are and be the leader.
I would like you to take a piece of paper and write who the most important relationship you’ve ever had in your life with is? Take a moment and reflect on this question. This doesn’t mean that there is a right or wrong answer in the traditional sense. The “right” answer is your answer. By that I mean what’s important to you. Just think about the person that is or was the one that you have the most significant relationship with today and right it down. Everyone who wrote down “me” give yourself a round of applause, If your wrote anything else beginning now commit to take a moment out of your day to make yourself a priority because you are the only one who can decide what you are worth it is only then that others will appreciate your value.
Although there really isn’t a wrong answer, the healthiest answer is “you”. The most important relationship we will ever have is the one we have with ourselves. Until we can be honest with ourselves, accepting our imperfections which make us perfect, appreciating our dreams, embracing our fears and all the battle scars we’ve acquired along our life’s journey, how can anyone else accept us? How can anyone value you if you don’t value yourself? We teach others how to treat us, remember we can’t give what we don’t have. As unique as we all are one thing we share in common is we often find ourselves emotionally drained from giving and nurturing others in the many roles we find ourselves in which is a beautiful gift. That amazing child within you reflected in the mirror is special and deserves to be nurtured too. By allowing yourself to be important in your life you allow yourself to be a better spouse, a better parent, a better child, and a better friend. You have the emotional constitution to stay in the moment. When you give yourself permission to dream the impossible incredible things happens.
Always remember that information linked to emotion is retained. In life eighty percent is psychology and the other twenty percent are the mechanics. A person who knows where she is going will figure out ways to overcome the challenges along the way. As you walk along your journey of personal empowerment you will have moments, days and perhaps even periods of life in which you will be confronted with frustration. When you are feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, get excited! Frustration only means you are about to have a breakthrough. Likewise confusion also means you are about to learn something, stay excited.
By learning something as you grow from the frustration and confusion you encounter remember that you are developing character and internal wealth. Internal wealth is another way to perceive wisdom. The internal wealth and wisdom that you acquire as you walk down your life’s path is what you can give and share with others who come behind you. It is always helpful sharing a concern or struggle with another individual who has experienced it and found a way to break through it. This wealth starts in the mind and in the heart.
Regardless of what your outcome is, pick someone to emulate. Look at the individuals who have found ways to succeed in the areas you are interested in now. Find someone who has a similar passion. Be brave, step up and ask for guidance. Seek a mentor and invest in that relationship. After all, we are the five people we surround ourselves with. Think about that for a moment and decide if those five people are helping you grow or keeping you stuck. Once you answer that question, take action.
Define where you are. Determine what can be done in a day, a week and a month to move you further a long your journey to reach the outcome you identified for yourself. Write your outcome in detail. Write your outcome in lots of places so that you will focus on it. Our daily focus either moves us toward or away from our outcome so be proactive. Because the most important relationship you have with another person is the relationship you have with that amazing person in the mirror, make it a priority to focus on your outcome daily. One way in which you can accomplish this is to set your outcome is if it is already happened. There’s a nugget of truth in that old saying fake it until you make it. “Act as if until” you have already achieved your outcome or as if you are currently living it.
Keep your focus. Success is the only option that is acceptable. Set another outcome as soon as your goal is met. Always take your outcome and make it manageable by dividing it into bite size pieces.
Love like you’ve never been hurt. Keep in mind that the angrier you get the more static in your brain. The more static in your brain the less you can hear what’s being said to you. Thus, so remember to live and love as love truly conquers all. May the love you have hidden deep within your heart find its way to the love in your dreams. Make the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays.
Staying in love is a decision. Loving and valuing yourself is also a decision and it’s not always easy. Anger, tears and laughter are all expected and okay in an interpersonal relationship. Through it all trust that you are truly in love. When you love yourself you have an abundance of love. Remember, love is a gift that you give without expectation of its return. It is then that your true love shines through and that is when you really know that what is inside of you, your inner wealth, your inner wisdom, and inner love is all that you need. The good news is that all of those gifts are already within you.
By learning to love myself and recognize the gifts that are within me, I am confident and secure enough to encourage you to step out in faith by looking at the person you are today, seeing where you are and deciding where you want to be. Because I am walking my own journey of self discovery I can tell you that yes, you’ll get frustrated and confused and those are all good things. I can’t say I always knew the woman I saw in the mirror what I can say is I have always appreciated this woman and her unique abilities because of the mentors that I have been blessed to have walk in front of me and beside me, I am the woman that I am today because of you. For those of you who know me from thank God I volume 3 I would like to take this opportunity to thank you with my deepest gratitude for allowing me to share my challenges that I encountered on my journey to personal empowerment. Thank you for accepting me for who I am. I have a long road ahead of me and that’s exciting. Now as I walk victoriously, I encourage you to walk beside me through my own personal awakening. Today I come to you with the opportunity to share with you my appreciation and love for you.
What has my journey taught me so far? From the seeds of necessity grows success. From the sweat of desperation come the seeds of purpose. Let’s have some fun as we grow together walking along our path recognizing that we’re never really alone, that we have all of the skills we need to get us through today within us. Trust that whatever tomorrow brings will be okay because you have the skills and tools from your own inner wealth, wisdom and love to make it.
Everyone has a primary question, what is yours? Mine is “what ACTion will I take today to create the tomorrow I am committed to living”. Equally as important, how can you create a destination that will allow you to be authentic to the complex, talented and ever growing gift that you are? Live in strength by making the situations you experience on your journey of personal empowerment into opportunities to serve others and yourself.
