How would you define YOU? Are you defined by what takes up most of your waking hours? Your intellectual thoughts and outward expressions? Would the company you keep or perhaps your socioeconomic status play a part in your answer? What does your Instagram Bio say? In 150 characters or less, Instagram wants you to explain who you are, what you do and why anybody should care.

The first line in my Instagram bio reads “Content Maker. Fashion Buyer. Mom. Wife”. Is this what defines who I am? Absolutely not. I know it’s totally unfair of me to use my Instagram bio as an example, but what better way to illustrate how we easily label ourselves in the world without too much deliberation or deep perspective of who we truly are.

What happens when you break away from the daily distractions (important and minutia included) that keeps your soul buried in a deep fog and relentless forget and finally ask yourself the question, “Who am I”?

A couple weeks ago I asked myself this question. Not because I was unclear on whom I am, more because I felt like I something shifted. Self-awareness is a skill I have been in tune with for as long as I can remember. I have always been very sure of myself and how others viewed me. For most of my twenties and the greater part of my thirties I would desperately try to convince others to understand me and my point of view if somehow I had given off the wrong impression. What people thought of me really mattered? Today, I am unapologetically me. If I make a mistake, I will own it and apologize, but don’t look at this girl sideways thinking you’re going to make me think twice about it because I know who I am. If I offended you in anyway, there is a very substantial chance you had it coming. So back to my earlier point, I am unapologetically me.

When you are crystal clear on who you are, you know your strengths and better yet, you know how to supersize them. Opposite is the stuff you need to work on and where fear and denial will hinder personal growth if you are not willing to come to terms fully with self-awareness. A couple weeks ago to help answer my question, I went into recluse. The fog was heavy and life was getting confusing. I disconnected. I only appeared at a couple family events and went to work (nonnegotiable on that one, but would have ditched if I could have). I said bye to Instagram and this blog knowing I’d be better for it. I needed to think without distractions and just do less so I could grapple with who I had become and what I wanted for myself (supersizing strengths and personal growth). You see, I have enough self-awareness to know that I had changed.

While undergoing my spiritual renovation I stumbled on The Johari Window- a grid designed to help you tap into and categorize the conscious and subconscious parts of your life and self. Again, no expert here but if you are thinking about taking a deep dive and serving yourself a dose of self-awareness this is a great launching pad. Click here and here for more on The Johari Window.