For all who are spiritual...?

Question

Most spiritual paths ask that the adherent get to know him/her self. How do you personally go about getting to know yourself?
(examples, meditation, writing in a diary/journal/blog, etc)
Do you find you like yourself or do you think you need to work on it?

(((((((((mullah)))))))

lmao Skalite!

(((((MBS))))

PATRICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Hmmm... I think meditation, writing, etc work because they remove distractions.

For me, I like the outdoors. Being alone in nature removes some of the distractions too, and for example on my recent Montana trip I found the time to just watch the sunrise over a lake. Even without the distraction of a camera to capture the image.

I think when you're alone with yourself, that's all you need. The key is getting rid of all the things that divert your consciousness.

Answer 2

Meditation, writing in a journal... and reviewing my own reactions in situations. Such as, why do I feel the need to choke some people at work? And why do I allow it to get to me like that? ^_^

I love myself (I know, that sounded so vain....)... but I also know there are things that I should work on. I don't love being angry at people (this is not the only emotion I feel lol), but I know that anger is a needed emotion and have to learn how to deal with it in each given situation.

Answer 3

I dont meditate as I should .... I find it hard to be ritual in anything
I do write a lot and have done a little mini book about my life and how I am where I am
in writing that , I learned a lot about myself and what I need to change and how to make things improve for both myself and those around me
I wrote that about 2 years ago and need to change many things in it now
i dont think it will ever be finished and will always be a work in progress

but I like who I am yes
I have learned not to hate who i used to be , but accept that was me and how I have learned from it

Answer 4

Kallan, I find that I am a work in progress. Both my strengths and weaknesses are brought out in times of stress. I keep a journal. Every once in a while I will thumb through it and realize how far I have come in the past five years. It usually ends up being a rather bittersweet experience.

Answer 5

As one who is following the middle path and the noble eightfold way, this one practices meditation and mindful awareness.

In Buddhism, one learns to seek one's "true self", which does not include those things that are by their nature impermanent. One is to seek to learn what the nature of the permanent or true self is.
One soon realizes that no thing has permanence and all is in a constant state of flux or change.
All things are then of non-being.
One also learns to give up judgements. No thing is good . No thing is bad. All that is is as it is.

Is all of one's actions of benefit to all others and to one's self?
Does one sense the illusion of seperateness from existance?
Does one still suffer, having desires and attachments?
Has one reached the point where one can say in all honesty that one is an enlightened being?

One seeks growth.

May it all be well with you.

Answer 6

Actually, so much of who I am has been learned, processed, owned and internalized I find it almost difficult to explain the process.

I find I grow through my decisions and the ways in which I carry them out.

With a decision, I look at the problem, my options, and my ethics. Ethics rule. Existing responsibilities take precedence. Determine which option is most beneficial for the most number of people while harming none. Determine which option is most selfless, most loving, most instructive.

Through this process I apply theory to real-world situations and thus learn more about ethics and myself. The results help to refine (or validate) theory.

It never stops.

And yes, I like myself. I think I am a good person.

Conflicts between myself and others tend to be conflicts of ego. And as I strive to eliminate mine, it becomes more obvious what a problem ego can be for some.

Answer 7

Answering soley on attempting to "know myself."As you already stated - through meditation and writing. I tend to write alot when particularly big events take place. This I find most helpful. Both good and bad. Something that's brought me joy and something that's caused me aggravation. After a short amount of time i'll look over the notes i've made and on sometime occasions i'll realise that my behaviour may have been out of line for this, or my thinking was irrational for that. Other times i'll feel like giving myself a good tap on the shoulder when looking back on other situations that I acted accordingly to, or that I felt I handled particulary well.

I've got to know alot about myself, through noting down events and emotions and reflecting on them.

Answer 8

This is all my point of view. I don't expect anyone to share it, and I'm happy to learn if it is incorrect in any way.

The best way to know yourself is to try to view yourself from an outside point of view.

Meditation clears the mind, and opens it, but it is possible to meditate and remain unsatisfactory.

Hence the whole reason of knowing yourself. If you do not know what your illnesses are, you cannot release them.

Surely mindfulness, as opposed to meditation itself, will show you your shortcomings. We are all human, and we will all continue to be human, so I see no possibility of anyone actually liking themselves when they know themselves.

Constant improvement is the key.

Answer 9

I live life. It is through everything that I do that I gain more insight into who I am. I meditate, I blog, I interact with others and everything that I do allows me to get to know me better.

I like a lot about me but know that I am not perfect, but then again I wouldn't want to be because then I wouldn't be myself. I am happy with who I am.

Blessed Be )O(

Answer 10

Several ways. Mostly I listen to feedback from my closest friends, including Internet friends. But I have also done various self-analysis exercises, and after Steve died, I went to a grief counselor who was helpful in that he asked the right questions.

I think it's an on-going process. People change, and they need to be aware of the direction of their changes. In fact, ideally we should be choosing the direction.