DISCOVERING YOU

By Adeyera Abisola

A lot of people don't actually know who they are, there purpose in life, and where they are headed in life. I love saying this: "when the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable". Abuse in what sense? You might be forty and still haven't discovered who you are. You would keep wondering and struggling with why you are not happy, and you begin to ask yourself, are you being selfish? Are your expectations too high? You begin to wonder what is missing. What's going on here? You failed to plan! It's very paramount that you know who you are, what makes you genuinely happy, what your core personal values are, what your priorities are. Most importantly, where you are headed in life. The answers are right inside of you. Trust that intuition in your gut. It's in you.

When you ask most people who they are, their response are pervaded with a description of their physical self, the number of cars and houses they possess, their likes and dislikes and what they do at leisure. We are not talking about personality here. Pardon me brother or sister, if that's the only thing you can say about yourself, you're yet to find who you are. Ask yourself, are these who I am? Do they clearly define me or they are just what I've decided to label myself? Are these my values?

KNOWING YOUR VALUES

Values exist whether you've discovered it or not. Values are elements of your life
which you find personally important. Knowing your values guide you in making the right decision. If your core personal value is your family, would you take a job that'll keep you away from them for six months? If you can't cope with impatience, would you marry a man that has such trait? If u can't stand seeing a cadaver, would you put in for a course like Anatomy or Medicine? If you do, you will end up being frustrated.

1. Identify when you were most proud
2. Identify when you were happiest.
3. Identify what contributed to your happiness

At 16, I've discovered my values. My dreams of writing about things are truly
meaningful to me, becoming a medical doctor, finding a satisfying and passionate family, being more present with my family, becoming a good cook, becoming a fashion designer,  being a loving mother to my kids, being a loyal wife and lot more. The dreams are coming true now that I am focused in the right direction—and that direction was to look within. So, find a quiet moment and think about each question. Go ahead. Create new dreams or rediscover dreams you left behind. This would help you with choosing a career that suits you, knowing your purpose, what you believe in and live a meaningful life. Now that I have started, I haven’t looked back since, I feel I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be at the moment.