Some say that your experiences and decisions in life can either make you or break you. I’ve found that most often, what breaks you IS what makes you. We’ve all hit low points in life—also sometimes referred to as ruts, funks, broken hearts, the “quarter-life crisis,” etc. We all go through these periods where we feel lost and unsure of who we are, where we’re supposed to be, and what we’re supposed to be doing. However, it’s these low points that allow us to rebuild our lives, discover ourselves, and become what we’ve always wanted to be. Here are four ways you can begin finding yourself today:
Do that one thing you’ve always wanted to do
You know that one thing you’ve had on your bucket list for most of your life? That one thing that you dream about doing every single day but haven’t mustered up the courage to do yet because you don’t see how you could possibly do it? Well guess what? It is possible and you can do it. Seriously. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of living abroad in Europe or pursuing your dream career as a musician. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to parachute out of an airplane or bungee jump off a bridge. Or it could be that you’re just dying to tell that one person how much you love them. No matter what it is, just do it. Find the courage that has always been inside you and free yourself.
Immerse yourself in solitude
This is perhaps the most difficult part of this process, but you must embrace the aloneness. You can’t rely on anyone else to guide you in the right direction. This is a solo mission. Doing it alone is the whole point of the journey. This doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself off from the world, but spending some quality alone time here and there will be very beneficial. Learn to listen to yourself. Learn to trust yourself. Learn to love yourself. It’s when you start to become truly content with who you are as a person that you will discover things about yourself that you never knew before. Be your own best friend.
Go somewhere new
Perhaps the reason you haven’t been able to find yourself yet, is because you aren’t looking in the right places? Traveling and experiencing different cultures and people are all helpful ways of rediscovering your purpose. It’s good to try new things, and in doing so, you may change your entire life. Think The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The film may have been mediocre, but it had an inspiring message about the importance of breaking out of your shell and taking risks. No, you don’t have to break the bank and splurge on a plane ticket to Iceland if you don’t want to. Even just driving a few hours to a nearby city you’ve never been to before could open up your eyes to a whole new world and a whole new you.
Learn to appreciate the little things
When you’re feeling down in the dumps, it’s easy to focus on all of the negative things happening in your life. Absolutely nothing good will come out of this. No matter how lost, sad, or miserable you may be feeling, there is always something to be grateful for. Maybe it’s that a stranger smiled at you while you were walking down the street. Maybe you managed to fix that leaky faucet all by yourself. Maybe your favorite song came on the radio while you were driving home from work. Shifting your focus from the negatives to the positives is one of the most important things you can do when on a journey to self-discovery. When you begin to connect the dots between all of the little things you have to be grateful for, your life will seem fuller and more satisfying. 
