The definition of you

When someone asks you to describe yourself, you may consider certain qualities or characteristics that you feel comprise your whole being or particular aspects related to your life.

If you had to look yourself up in a dictionary, what pictures, captions, or explanations would follow your name?

The traits and images that arise are reflective of how you see yourself living the life you've created.

Think of at least five attributes, words, or sentences that you would use to describe yourself in your own definition, and consider the following questions:

• Does your job or career consume your life and define who you are?
• Do you view yourself as the typical multitasking person with little time for self-care? 
• Are you smiling to the outside world but struggling to keep it together inside?
• Do your characteristics reflect a healthy or unhealthy self-image?
• Are your primary traits related to physical appearance, such as hair, make-up, and clothes or centered on subjective qualities like compassionate, loving, and generous?
• Are you looking at the big picture or focusing on what's going on in your life at this moment in time?
• From your own perspective, are you happy with the definition of you?

Self-examination from an objective point of view allows you to gain insight into how you actually see yourself and the image you're projecting out to the world.

For example, if the first words and pictures that come to mind depict someone who's overworked and stressed out all the time, you probably need to incorporate more self-care and set more boundaries in your life.

Or, if you describe yourself by the type of car you drive, the successful job you have, or how big your house is, you need to decide if you would rather be known for your material possessions or for personal values and internal qualities.

Remember that change and transformation is a natural part of life. You can always redefine who you are in order to increase harmony, strengthen relationships, and regain life balance.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks. How do you define yourself now and how would you like to re-create yourself?

• I am a  ________________________ person.
• I take care of myself by _________________.
• My life purpose is to ____________________.
• I am happy when I _____________________.
• My top priorities in life are ________________.

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