Self Knowledge - The Foundation On Which To Build Your Life

Self knowledge is about knowing ourselves and getting the most out of life. Self-knowledge is about observing, about being perceptive within our life, about experiencing our life. It is about being aware of our life and its importance. It is about being conscious of our place in life and its possibilities. It is about thinking about our life and wanting to get the most out of life, while wanting to contribute all we can at the same time.

Importance

Knowing yourself is what self knowledge is really all about. And it is so important. We purport to know a lot of things. And we do. We all have knowledge of many things. Some important. Some trivial. Some useful. Some data only, for they serve no real purpose.

This knowledge, our self knowledge helps us in our everyday life. It helps us make a cup of tea. It helps us drive our cars. It helps us take the bus to the right place of work. It helps us cook our evening meal. It helps us do so many things, most of which we just take for granted.

And it is this 'take for granted' nature and arena we call life in which we find self knowledge. We are aware that we are complex creatures and would love to know how we tick (knowing why we tick is another question altogether). And up to a point we do.

Each day goes by

Our life is so precious. Any event that puts this into perspective - a tragedy or near tragedy, illness or accident - is on the one hand giving us a sharp reminder of our mortality and on the other the preciousness and irreplaceable nature of what we have in our hands - our life.

Breath comes in. Breath goes out. Our heart beats. Blood is moved around essential organs. Life goes on day by day, moment by moment. And the mystery of life continues.

Our part to play

Life maintains us each day, but what maintains the life? When we look at these types of questions things are put into a different light. What maintains life is, we would agree, rather more important, yet not quite so easy to answer, as the questions of how to make cup of tea or cook our evening meal.

And yet we view these different types of 'self' knowledge (or experience) with the same parameters, by which I mean we have our life, our mind, our brain, ourselves and these together make us. And it is us that interprets both the questions regarding life itself AND the questions about how we cope or manage everyday occurrences (like eating or cooking).

Things can be simpler

Yet we should not bamboozle ourselves in our life. For it is very easy to do. In the same way that different meals can be made differently (from different ingredients, different cooking times, different combinations of ingredients) so we are all different, too.

Life can be complex or we can make it quite simple. Let us avoid the complex and look at the simple.

We are here. We live our life. We know things. We manage our life as best we can. If we knew ourselves and our life a little better would that not make a lot of sense, as well as helping us day by day, experience by experience, as we go along.

So what is there to know?

Self knowledge is simple. Knowledge of self.

Yet this does not answer our question, or at least does not to our total satisfaction. For riddles or poetry or songs or art may be beautiful, but they (may) give us experience where we may really want fact or information. We want to make sense of things. Not try to understand long sentences when small will do. And though a picture tells a thousand stories, it is easier if that picture is ours, and of our life.

The results of another person's journey is interesting, thought provoking, even moving in parts but does not do it for us. We need to embark on our journey. We need to arrive at our destination, not the destination of another. We need to explore things for ourselves.

We need to discover ourselves for ourselves. Find our self knowledge Someone else can offer their opinion but it is really our own opinion that we seek. Our own picture we wish to view. Our own picture we need to paint. Our picture, our experience, our life, our way. Our self knowledge we seek.

Your journey . . .

Knowing yourself is a pursuit. It is a journey of discovery. It is a path. A path to realizing who we are, what we are, our place in life.

  • greater knowledge of yourself, greater self knowledge brings happiness
  • knowing yourself puts lots of those questions, those big questions about life, into perspective
  • knowing yourself brings with it knowledge of life
  • knowing you is quite unlike any other experience you can have
  • exploring self knowledge is one of the greatest endeavors you can undertake
  • comprehending your place in life is one of life's greatest secrets - for you
  • learning about yourself is one of life's greatest lessons

And we can. Life is waiting for us. Waiting for us to embark, to leave the platform. To set off on our journey. Destination unknown, but embark on our journey firm in the resolve, in the faith that life will care for us and we will find us, ourselves (our self knowledge) at journeys end. (And while life's end may bring answers and new experience, journeys end in this life is what we seek here.)

So resolve to not only start out but to take part . . .

Life is for experiencing. Life is for learning from. Life is for moving on from our previous self to our new self. Discovering the new. Learning from the old. Taking advantage of all that comes before us, that comes our way. Taking advantage of all experiences - good, bad or indifferent. Slotting them away for the rainy day when the knowledge becomes useful - at that time.

No one can become an expert on you, apart from you. You can become your own expert, about you.

When to start

As always, when you are ready. But don't delay. It is not that life will forge ahead without you, it is just that the happiness and joy that is to be had from feeling at one with yourself is waiting for you to experience. It will wait as long as it needs to.

For that sense of you is there for you to experience, to ponder, to wonder upon, to accept, to learn from, to be with, to experience . . . That true knowledge of you, within you is there anyway. It will not go away. It cannot go away, for it is you.

Waiting patiently . . .

It waits patiently for you to attend. For your attention. In your own time. In your own way. Following your own unique journey. Your journey into your life. To explore the rich life within. For that is surely where the real experience of you resides.

The true experience of life, of the knowledge and experience of you, lies within. Not outside of you in whatever glitzy, or apparent 'far-out' type experience, in a fast car, in a huge bank account. On a desert island - or in one hundred and one different things.

No, the true knowledge of you lies only in one place. And that place you naturally have to take round with you. Otherwise it could be lost or destroyed or mislaid or forgotten or removed from your eyes, from your life, from your experience.

The real you. The knowledge you seek in life resides within you.

But how should I be?

How should I be in my quest for my self knowledge?

  • be humble
  • be yourself - no airs or graces
  • be proud to be you
  • look after yourself and your life
  • give yourself time in life, time for you
  • give yourself time in life to experience the inner you
  • find purpose in life by discovering the real you inside
  • find meaning in life by exploring the real you inside
  • enjoy the experience of you that your life brings each day
  • don't worry if not all things go your way, that is life - it happens to all and no reflection on you or your effort
  • don't just take from life but give also, contribute
  • share your knowledge and experience with others
  • make the most of your time
  • be honest in your endeavors
  • act from your heart and give of your best in healthy, wholesome endeavors
  • allow you endeavors to be for the common good

What can I do then?

And how to access the inner you. Your inner fountain of knowledge, of self knowledge. Let life show you the way. There is a saying, that when we are ready the way comes. Just be ready. Be careful, look after yourself. Do your best by life and yourself. Enjoy your life. Explore life. Discover new things about life each day. Discover new things about 'you' each day.

Be patient and life will share its riches with you.

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