Reference To The Self

This week I would like to return to the concept of the self, pun intended. Often you may find yourself in a position where you are encountering some type of obstruction(s), and you are perplexed in discovering ways to persevere. 

Instead of throwing in the proverbial towel and walking away from self-betterment, you take a step back prior to reexamining your approach. What’s beneficial in this scenario is getting into touch with a past self for the sake of pursuing optimization and purpose.

Reaching out and familiarizing your present self with a past self may sound a bit daunting in concept. Still, I assure you that there are actionable ways to achieve such a feat. 

First, there needs to be an understanding of why anyone would attempt this undertaking. Sometimes when you’re pushing toward your goals, you are entering the unknown at such a rate that the self becomes unrecognizable. 

The self is difficult to define due to persistence in motion and change. Discerning any perimeter between the internal and external, significant markers in self demarcation becomes a near-impossible task due to the fact that you are so far removed from who you were. 

This understanding emphasizes the importance of referring back to a past self. It serves as an ultimate reminder of where you came from to the point that you recognize that it is no longer who you are.

This realization allows you to reflect and increase your visibility surrounding who you are in the present. It perhaps sounds like a cliche, but sometimes the best way to figure out who you are is to understand who you are not. 

An encounter with a past self increases clarity with regard to the present. One of the best ways you can encounter a past self is to spend time with someone you have not seen for an extended period. This person or people could be family, an old friend, or an ex-lover. 

Other ways involve returning to a place where you used to live, whether it be an old hometown or living space. Former activities or likes are also good reminders (perhaps a former sport you used to play, the music you used to listen to, or a movie you haven’t seen in a while). Reviewing old writings or journal entries can undoubtedly be breathtaking as well. 

In any of these scenarios, it is essential to monitor your level of connection. Increased connection means that there are many things about who you were in the past relevant to who you are in the present. 

Decreased connection means the opposite; aspects of your present and past self are misaligned because there’s been a significant change. 

Part of the process of being is the recognition that some things internal (the self) or external (people, the environment, or objects) change or stay precisely the same. Your ability to track these differences or consistencies allows you to unlock new heightened states of self-awareness. 

It is only through self-awareness that you can continue to grow and process change. Having a reference to our past self will ultimately provide benefit in being able to define our present self, as well as the future selves that follow.