If you’re like most people, you have a lot of questions about your identity. Why?
Because identity is a complex topic.
Most people think of identity as the individual parts of our personality that we put together to create a whole.
You may feel like you don’t fit into any of the boxes that come with being a “normal” person. You may feel like you don’t know who you are or what makes you unique.
Does this sound like you?
In this post, we’re going to explore 15 ways to find your true identity and discover the real you.
We’ll also explore how these identities can help you find happiness, meaning, and purpose in life.
15 proven ways to discover your true self
1) Find your purpose in life
Ever wondered why you’re here?
Do you know what your one true purpose in life is?
If you don’t, then it’s time to find out.
Believe it or not, we all have a purpose in life. It’s our reason for being here, and we all have the power to choose what it is. You might not be aware of it but you already have a purpose. It’s just that you’ve never stopped to think about it before.
Your purpose could be something like helping people in need, being a great writer, or being a coach. Whatever it is, you need to find out what your own personal purpose is before you can truly find your identity.
The truth is, the purpose is what’s most important to you in life. It’s what drives you to get out of bed in the morning and follow through with the goals you set for yourself.
When you have a strong sense of purpose, it gives your life meaning and direction. It helps you set goals that are important to you, rather than goals that society says are important (like earning lots of money or being famous).
But how can you discover your purpose in life?
Discovering your purpose requires you to get in touch with yourself. You need to reflect on your values, passions, and desires.
- What do you want out of life?
- What makes you happy?
- Why are you here?
- What is your purpose?
Try to reflect on your purpose in life and write it down. You can also write down what your purpose is not.
Once you’ve discovered your purpose, you can start living it. You’ll be able to find yourself and your identity because you’ll be living for something greater than yourself.
That way you’ll get in touch with yourself and discover who you really are.
2) Get in touch with your values
In order to find yourself, you need to get in touch with your values.
What are your values? They are the beliefs that govern how you live your life. They’re the things that matter most to you and guide your choices and decisions.
But guess what?
Chances are that you don’t even know what your values are.
That’s because we’re often unaware of what our values are. We don’t realize that we have them or that they even exist. We live our lives based on what others value and not on what we ourselves value.
But if you want to discover who you really are, then you need to get in touch with your own values and start living by them.
How can you do that?
You can start by answering the following questions:
- What do you find important in life?
- What really matters to you?
- What would make your life better?
- What would make the world a better place?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you can start living by your values. You can find yourself and your identity by living according to what matters most to you.
Why am I saying this?
Because we all have them, but we often don’t think about them on a conscious level. And deep down, you know this is true.
Your values hold a lot of power over what kind of person you are and what makes you happy. I tell you what though.
Sometimes we’re unable to discover our inner selves because we’re surrounded by social norms and pressures. We’re so focused on what other people value and what they think is important that we forget about our own values.
But what if you could discover who you really are, get in touch with your values, and start living by them?
The truth is, most of us never realize how much power and potential lies within us.
We become bogged down by continuous conditioning from society, the media, our education system and more.
The result?
The reality we create becomes detached from the reality that lives within our consciousness.
I learned this (and much more) from the world-renowned shaman Rudá Iandé. In this excellent free video, Rudá explains how you can lift the mental chains and get back to the core of your being.
A word of caution – Rudá isn’t your typical shaman.
He doesn’t paint a pretty picture or sprout toxic positivity like so many other gurus do.
Instead, he’s going to force you to look inwards and confront the demons within. It’s a powerful approach, but one that works.
So if you’re ready to take this first step and align your dreams with your reality, there’s no better place to start than with Rudá’s unique technique
Here’s a link to the free video again.
3) Identify your strengths and weaknesses
- Do you know what your greatest weakness is?
- Are you familiar with your powers?
- Do you know what you’re good at?
The truth is, most of us don’t know. We can’t even answer these simple questions. Why?
That’s because we often neglect our weaknesses. We focus on our strengths and forget about the areas where we need to improve.
This is a big mistake because it causes us to live in a fantasy world that doesn’t exist in reality.
We all have strengths and weaknesses, but the key is to identify them so that we can work on improving ourselves. Otherwise, you’re just living in a delusion – and that will do nothing for your overall well-being or success.
But what if you don’t know what your strengths and weaknesses are?
Don’t worry because most people don’t.
They might have a vague idea, but they lack clarity and specificity.
They don’t know which skills they need to improve and which ones they’re good at. They don’t understand how the skills they have can help them achieve their goals. They just don’t know enough about themselves to do anything meaningful with their lives.
Does this sound like you?
If this is you, then it’s time to change that. It’s time to find out what makes you tick and what your true potential is.
It’s time to understand yourself on a deeper level than ever before so that you can start taking action towards achieving your dreams.
So, how do you identify your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Sometimes all you need to do is ask yourself a few questions.
For example, what are the things you constantly struggle with? What do you procrastinate on? What areas of your life do you avoid?
What are the things that make you feel uncomfortable or afraid?
These are all great questions to ask yourself because they will help you identify what your weaknesses are. You can then create an action plan to overcome them and improve yourself in those areas.
On the other hand, if there are things that come easily to you and that you enjoy doing, then they’re probably your strengths. Identifying these will help as well because it will give you a direction to focus on when trying to improve yourself.
So, if you want to get the most out of your life, then you must identify your strengths and weaknesses. It’s the only way to live with purpose and to make a real difference in the world.
4) Get rid of false beliefs and negative thought patterns
Do you ever feel like something isn’t right with your life? That there are so many things that are missing? That there’s something more that you should be doing with your life?
Have you ever felt like this and not known what the problem was?
If so, then it may be that you have false beliefs and negative thought patterns that are holding you back.
These are harmful beliefs that you’ve been carrying around since childhood. They usually stem from experiences in your past – traumas, rejections, failures, and the like. These experiences have led to self-limiting beliefs about yourself and your ability to do what you want with your life.
They’re not true, but they feel like they are because you haven’t worked on them yet. And because of this, they work against you by holding you back from doing what it takes to live a successful life.
What are false beliefs?
False beliefs are limiting beliefs that are not true. They’re usually created from past experiences that led you to believe that you can’t do certain things.
Examples of false beliefs:
- “I’m not good enough to achieve my goals.”
- “I don’t deserve to be happy.”
- “No one cares about me.”
- “I can’t do anything without the approval of others.”
- “I’m not good enough.”
- “I don’t deserve the things I want in life.“
- People will always let me down in the end.”
If any of these sound familiar, then you’re carrying around some false beliefs.
How do false beliefs hold you back?
False beliefs are like the lens that you see the world through. And if this lens is dirty and full of scratches, then it will distort and limit your vision of what’s possible in your life.
This will cause you to limit yourself and your actions because you’ll be too busy trying to avoid what you think might happen if you don’t. And because of this, it will be harder for you to reach your goals, achieve the life that you want, and discover your true identity.
5) Be your authentic self around others
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be you?
If you have, then you’ve already taken the first step towards finding your true self. And if you haven’t, then maybe it’s time that you did.
Because when you know who you are, it will be easier for others to see the real you. It will be easier for them to see your true identity because they’ll know who they are dealing with.
And by being yourself around others, you will allow others to see what makes you special and unique. It will give them a glimpse of the real you and allow them to connect with the real person that lies beneath your false mask.
The simple truth is, when you know who you are, then it will be easier for you to express yourself around others.
You won’t have to worry about what other people think of you or if they like the real you. And when this happens, it will give you the confidence and freedom that it takes for people to see the real you.
But what does it take to find my authentic self?
The answer might surprise you.
It might seem like a lot, but the truth is that it’s simpler than you think.
All you need to do is be yourself. All you need to do is open up and let others see the real you. And when this happens, people will be able to see the real you for who you really are and connect with the real person that lies beneath your false mask.
So if there’s one thing that I can leave you with today it’s this: Be yourself around others and let them see who you really are. Because when they do, they will be able to connect with the real you and see the real person that lies beneath your false mask.
And when this happens, you will be able to express yourself in ways that you’ve never been able to before.
6) Be true to yourself
In order to discover your true self, you need to be true to yourself.
If you don’t know who you are, then who will?
So what’s the secret?
You need to know what makes you unique and special so that you can learn how to use those qualities to your advantage. You need to know what makes you different from everyone else in order for people to see the real you.
You need to know how to use your differences as a strength instead of a weakness. And in order to do this, you need to know who you are and what makes you different from everyone else.
This is why it’s important to know yourself and be true to yourself. It’s important because it will allow you to be more confident and comfortable with who you are and the direction that your life is going.
And when you know where your life is going, you’ll be able to make more confident decisions and take more effective actions.
This is why knowing yourself is so important. It’s because when you know yourself, you’ll be able to use that knowledge to your advantage. And when you do this, you will be able to make better decisions and take more effective actions.
So what can you do to be true to yourself?
Begin with yourself. Stop searching for external fixes to sort out your life, deep down, you know this isn’t working.
And that’s because until you look within and unleash your personal power, you’ll never find the satisfaction and fulfillment you’re searching for.
I learned this from the shaman Rudá Iandê. His life mission is to help people restore balance to their lives and unlock their creativity and potential. He has an incredible approach that combines ancient shamanic techniques with a modern-day twist.
In his excellent free video, Rudá explains effective methods to become your true self.
So if you want to build a better relationship with yourself, unlock your endless potential, and put passion at the heart of everything you do, start now by checking out his genuine advice.
Here’s a link to the free video again.
7) Set goals that reflect your values and passions
If there’s one thing I can say about people who are living their dreams, it’s that they don’t set goals that don’t reflect their values and passions.
They know that if they set goals that are contrary to their values, it will be impossible to achieve them because they won’t be able to sustain the motivation necessary to achieve them.
And this is why you need to know what your values are so that you can set your goals in alignment with them. Because when you do this, it will allow you to become more motivated and committed to achieving those goals.
When you do this, it will allow you to have a greater chance of succeeding in your life. Because if you succeed, it means that your values have been met and fulfilled because you’ve achieved them.
This is why knowing yourself is so important. It’s because when you know yourself, you’ll be able to use that knowledge to your advantage. And when you do this, you will be able to make better decisions and take more effective actions.
So what can you do to be true to yourself?
Here’s what: set goals that reflect your values and passions by being aware of where your heart lies in terms of what really matters most in your life.
I know that this sounds simple, but it’s an often-overlooked principle in life. And this is why you need to get started now by taking the below quiz and getting to know yourself.
8) Get rid of toxic people from your life
Are there people in your life who constantly put you down? Are there people who try to sabotage all of the good things that you’re doing?
If so, you need to get rid of them. Because when you’re around people like that, it drains all of your energy. And when this happens, it makes it more difficult for you to succeed in life.
Instead, think about the people in your life that you can learn from and who are supportive of you. Because when you’re around people like this, it’s easier for you to succeed in life.
The trick is to find new people who will support your goals and make you feel motivated and inspired. And when this happens, it will allow you to succeed in life.
And when you do this, it will allow you to have a greater chance of succeeding in your life. Because if you succeed, it means that your values have been met and fulfilled because you’ve achieved them.
As simple as it sounds.
9) Live in the moment
Ever heard the saying “Live in the moment”?
Well, I know that this seems like an impossible task. But it’s not. Because when you live in the moment, you’re able to enjoy life more. And when this happens, you’ll be happier and more confident about your future.
But why is living in the here and now important for discovering your identity?
I’ll let you in on a secret: it’s because when you live in the present moment, you’re able to make better decisions. And when this happens, it will make all the difference to your future success.
And when this happens, you suddenly acknowledge who you really are.
So again, why is living in the moment so important?
Because it’s one of the most effective ways that you can discover your identity. And when this happens, it will allow you to succeed in life by making better decisions and taking more effective actions.
But what can you do to live in the present? Let me explain.
Be aware of how past events have affected your present, by remembering them. And when this happens, it will allow you to have a greater chance of finding your real identity.
10) Unlock your hidden potential
Let me take a guess.
You don’t even know where you’re going. You don’t even know what kind of potential you possess.
And that’s okay. Because if you never know where you’re going, then you’re able to discover your true identity by making decisions that are in line with your values.
Unlocking your hidden potential is a great tip for discovering your real self. Because when you unlock your hidden potential, it will allow you to have a greater chance of succeeding in life.
What does it take to build a life filled with exciting opportunities and passion-fueled adventures?
Most of us hope for a life like that, but we feel stuck, unable to achieve the goals we wishfully set at the start of each year.
I felt the same way until I took part in Life Journal. Created by teacher and life coach Jeanette Brown, this was the ultimate wake-up call I needed to stop dreaming and start taking action.
Click here to find out more about Life Journal.
So what makes Jeanette’s guidance more effective than other self-development programs?
It’s simple:
Jeanette’s created a unique way of putting YOU in control of your life.
She’s not interested in telling you how to live your life. Instead, she’ll give you lifelong tools that’ll help you achieve all your goals, keeping the focus on what you’re passionate about.
And that’s what makes Life Journal so powerful.
If you’re ready to start living the life you’ve always dreamt of, you need to check out Jeanette’s advice. Who knows, today could be the first day of your new life.
11) Find your passion (and do what you love)
Who else wants to know another truth about discovering their true identities?
Well, this secret is in finding your passion.
Passion is the fuel that keeps your life moving forward. It’s the thing that makes you feel alive.
And when you find your passion, it’ll allow you to have a greater chance of succeeding in life.
Most of us are too busy trying to achieve success to find our passions. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race and forget what really matters in life.
But if you want to discover your real identity, you need to find your passion and do what you love. Because when you find your passion, it will allow you to have a greater chance of succeeding in life.
The good news is that you don’t need to be an expert in order to find your passion. All you need is a little bit of creativity and desire.
And that’s exactly why you need to know what you love. If you don’t know what it is, you’ll never be able to find it. And if you don’t know what you love, your life will be filled with confusion and dissatisfaction.
So, you know what you’re going to do right after reading this?
Go and find your passion. After all, you don’t want to live a life that doesn’t make you happy.
12) Stop worrying about what other people think about you
Here’s something I never realized before discovering my true identity:
I used to spend a lot of time worrying about what other people thought about me. I would spend hours thinking about how I could improve myself and make myself more appealing to others.
And what’s worse, I would even go so far as to change my appearance and put on makeup just to look good in front of other people.
That’s not the kind of person I want to be, but it was the kind of person I thought others wanted me to be.
But, when I discovered my true identity, that all changed.
No longer did I have to worry about what other people thought about me. Because, if you know who you really are, there’s no need for you to care about what others think.
The fact: if you know who you really are, there’s no need for you to care about what others think.
13) Don’t listen to your inner critic
Imagine what it would feel like if you could get free from inner criticism inside your head.
Your inner critic is the voice in your head that tells you that you’re not good enough, and that you should feel bad about yourself. It’s the voice that tells you to do things just because other people are doing them.
But, if you know who you really are, there’s no need for your inner critic to control your life. Because, when you know who you really are, it becomes obvious what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense.
And when it comes to making decisions, this is a huge benefit because it means you don’t have to worry about what other people think anymore.
Why am I saying this?
Because, if you know who you really are, it’s obvious what makes sense and what doesn’t. But if you listen to some voice that criticizes you, you’ll always be unsure and confused.
14) Stop comparing yourself to others
Think about it. When was the last time you compare yourself with someone?
I bet it wasn’t really a long time ago. And that’s why I’m going to ask you something:
Are you constantly trying to live up to other people’s standards?
If you are, then you need to know something:
Comparison is a waste of time. You have your own set of standards, and your own set of values. And that’s all that matters. Why?
The answer is simple: no one can live up to your standards and values, not even someone as amazing as yourself. So stop worrying about what other people are doing.
It’s okay to be different, and it’s okay to make mistakes.
The important thing is that you keep moving forward—no one can live up to your standards and values, not even someone as amazing as yourself. And in that way, you’ll soon realize you’ve already found your hidden self.
15) Seek meaning in relationships
What is it that you value in your relationships?
Admit it. You enjoy interacting with people who help you have a good time. But if you want to find your true self, then you should make sure to interact with people who help you find meaning in your life.
In my experience, the only people who are able to help you find meaning in your life are those who have a genuine interest in helping you succeed.
And that’s exactly why you should try to seek meaning in all of your relationships.
Just try to assess your current relationships and ask yourself:
- How much do I enjoy the relationships I have with these people?
- And how much do they help me find meaning in my life?
So, if you want to find your true self, then get rid of people who don’t care about finding meaning in your life. Because when it comes down to it, they’re just using you for their own purposes.
Awaken your true self
Let’s recap.
When you start to find your true identity, it will be a difficult process. You’ll likely have to leave all the judgments and expectations of the world behind.
You’ll have to let go of all the things that have mattered in your life and accept who you are now.
And yes, that’s right, finding your true identity is not easy. It takes time and effort.
But when you finally figure out who you are, it may mean a lot of different things. You could be happy and content with the identity you’ve been given, or you might want to explore new possibilities.
In a nutshell, finding your true self is a process of discovering who you are, not just what you do. So, if you want to find your hidden self, then try to discover who you really are.
