Get to Know Yourself

It is stillness of the mind and body that allow us to step away from our distracted selves and get to know our true selves a little bit better.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

"I intend to allow myself the time and space to be still." | Support Cathy's Intent

Unless explicitly intending to do so, we humans rarely ever sit absolutely still. We are constantly fidgeting, wandering, moving and tossing about, even in our sleep. In this way, our mind and our thoughts parallel our body: One minute we are thinking about what we are going to make for dinner, the next we are remembering the person who bumped into us without apologizing at the grocery store. But it is stillness of the mind and body that allow us to step away from our distracted selves and get to know our true selves a little bit better.

Lao Tsu, the founder of Taoism, speaks about the importance of self-reflection in his book Tao Te Ching, written around 600 BC.

Knowing others is wisdom

Knowing the self is enlightenment

Mastering others requires force

Mastering the self requires strength

He who knows he has enough is rich

Perseverance is a sign of will power

He who stays where he is endures

To die but not to perish to be be eternally present

But it is important to remember that self-reflection is not an end in itself. Knowing yourself should become a motivation to change. It should be coupled with action that improves your life and the lives of those around you. Spend time learning about who you are. With that knowledge, allow yourself to become your best asset and an asset to others too.

Share your intent at Intent.com.

For more by Intent, click here.

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE