In the last week, I’ve had a couple of key conversations about how I’ve gotten to where I am today. As I ponder the journey, I can recount eight pivotal items that have helped me gain greater understanding of who I am.  Intrinsically. Internally. The things that make me say, “this is who I am, what I love and what fuels my passion.”

I’ll write briefly about each here, and unpack them in greater detail in the posts to follow. My hope is that some of this will be helpful for you, as you consider your own journey, recognizing that your journey will and should be different from my own.

1. Passion – Several years ago my church began studying “Network.” This book aggregates the study of personality, passion and spiritual gifts. Until this study, I’d never thought much about my passions. Though I couldn’t completely verbalize it at the time, I began the internal conversation and quest to discover my passion.
2. Divorce – When I went through my separation and divorce more than ten years ago, it rocked my world. I felt like a scared little girl with two little ones of my own. At the time, Hannah was 2 years old and Morgan was 2 weeks old. What I learned during that time is best summed up in 2 Corinithians 12:9, which reminds me that God’s strength and power are made perfect in weakness.
3. Behavioral Preferences – Sometime before the end of my marriage, I began studying the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. This new found knowledge helped me understand how/why I prefer certain behaviors. As I continued my study in this area, something clicked.
4. Personalized Leadership Development Program – Aside from two key faith-based experiences, my participation in PLDP has been the most significant contributor to my personal and professional development. This intensive, week-long course helped unlock the treasure chest of who I am and revealed my hidden potential.
5. Strengths – When I read “Now Discover Your Strengths,” for the first time I understood what I was good at, in a way that made sense. You should also check out Clifton’s StrengthsFinder 2.0 for more on this subject. Knowing my strengths gave me the freedom to move towards areas for which I was well suited, and away from areas that didn’t fit as well.
6. Vital Friends – A couple of years ago I read a book based on the science of friendship. Tom Rath suggests what our moms said when we were young, your friends matter and shape who you are. I began looking at the influences my friends had on my life and have begun taking intentional steps to add positive friendships to my life.
7. Counseling – Few of us grow up in the “Leave it to Beaver” meets “Camelot” existence. In order to become all that God has intended, I had to realize that some of my negative beliefs about who I am have been shaped by my experiences. Recognizing those beliefs and dealing with them have been and continue to be crucial to my growth.
8. Faith – My faith in God is the one thing that has sustained me through the course of life. I firmly believe God has created each of us with a great purpose and great potential. We simply need to accept His love and then allow Him to lead the way, sometimes through difficult paths, recognizing that He alone is faithful to complete the work He’s started in us.

This increased sense of self awareness has given me the confidence to step out in faith to start my own business. I’m growing in my courage to try new things and step through new doors as they open. And I’m finding more joy and satisfaction than ever before, because I believe with all my heart that I’m finding God’s best purpose for my life. My prayer is that you’ll do the same. If I can help, give a holler.

So how about you? What have been the pivotal moments in your journey? What can you say has contributed to your own sense of self awareness and growth?