In life, we are so hesitant to get into a relationship with people because we say that we need to get to know them first. This is totally logical because you never want to get yourself into bad situations by allowing someone into your “personal space” without knowing their intentions or at least knowing a little bit about who they are as a person. We want to know what they stand for, what happened in their past, how many people they dated, how many mutual friends you have, how many people are following them on Instagram. I mean we really want to go into some of the intricate details of the lives of others, but how often do we take the time to go into the intricate details of our own lives. How many times do we sit back and get to know ourselves? I know most people are thinking, “I know myself! I lived with myself for ## years, so I know who I am.” Is that really a true statement though?

A lot of who we become is not because of who we are, but is rather caused by the things, people, and even circumstances around us. So many people have heard stories of successful people that say, “I became a (insert occupation here) because my parents really wanted me to.” If they had it their way, they may have been an artist, dancer, musician, or something that really makes their heart smile. How many drug dealers do you know that were really smart and had so much potential but ended up on the corner because of the environment or the circumstances of their lives. There are so many examples of people becoming who they are strictly because of other “things” outside of themselves. If you are able to sit back and truly think about WHO you are as a person, what would you say? Do you even know who you are?

For me, this has taken a lot of time to figure out and even when I think I know, something comes up that teaches me a little more about who I am. I am going to continue on this path of learning and growing because I know that it will lead me to my destiny. It will lead me to the calling that was placed on my life. It will teach me how I can be of service to others in a way only I can be. I am looking forward to every day of this journey of getting to know ME!

“This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”

-William Shakespeare