How does one really know themselves?

You could recognize the exterior and know your own

reflection. Sure you are 6'2 with brown hair and eyes. Not a bad-looking individual. But you are not
your physical characteristics but your spiritual ones. If you could look into something and see your
internal reflection would you want to? What would you see? What would you learn? What would that
something be? What could possibly dig deep into your soul and reveal your innermost person?
             That something is the people we surround ourselves with everyday. All the people we
interact with, effect, influence, and touch regularly reflect who we are. We are who we love, hate,
admire, help, and lean on. Every little action, emotion, or word brought out by various people in
various situations are characteristics that are instinctual. They are what you do without thinking and
therefore are roots of your personality. For example, an elderly woman slips and falls on the
pavement. You rush over and offer your hand and assistance. That shows characteristics of
compassion and warmth. Had you not responded to the woman and continued walking, believing
that someone else would help her, it would have shown self-centredness and a general lack of
respect of others well-being.

The only person who travels with you through your whole life is you. Yes, it is
only you right from the cradle to the grave. I don’t mean to sound morbid; this
is only meant to emphasise the importance of the relationship with yourself
and the importance of knowing yourself.

By knowing yourself you can distinguish what you want, and what you need. We need to know who we
are so that we can achieve a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. So that we can express to others
who we actually are and be remembered for that. If you know yourself, the good, the bad and the ugly,
you can start to accept who you are exactly as you are. It can feel like a challenge to accept some
aspects of your character that you don’t perceive as positive, such as laziness. However, if that is part of
you, it is important to honour that instead of denying it. It is still there, even if you deny it. Learning to see
the benefits of laziness, enjoying it and not letting it work against you will lead you to be able to embrace it
as part of who you are, and to, therefore, love it. From love, you can move on to nurturing, to growing,
developing, thriving and flourishing.