Written by Corps Africa/ Malawi Volunteer Ms. Alinafe Chikombole
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom- Aristotle".
My journey of self-discovery, crooked and bumpy, with the light at the end of the tunnel. Before I embarked on this volunteering journey, I had a pretty good idea of who I was. However, in the short time that I have been serving, I find myself discovering new things about me on a daily basis so to say. New characteristics, talents and traits I did not think I had.
Often we think we know ourselves; but wait till you find yourself out of your comfort zones, then you truly begin to understand who you are as a person. You tend to sit down and question your lifestyle and choices, your core values and beliefs. Even your professional and spiritual life is in the spotlight.
Feeling stressed, angry or lonely? I find that those are the times you get into your shell and do a little self-discovery. You learn what ticks you off and how best to deal with it. You learn whom you call your support system and whom not to call. You get to understand the true value of companionship and friendship. The interaction of people and the different connections and relations we make are the seedling to the life ahead of us. If we do not engage in and with people and our surroundings, good or bad, we make very little progress and remain, as they say, passive victims of life's circumstances. We need to go out there, out of our comfort zones to learn who we truly are.
So far, the two aspects that continuously stand out in my journey of self-discovery are perception and expression. My perception of living my best life allows me to experience life directly, objectively and fully, making the best of every situation in which I find myself. Secondly, my conscious expression of how I look at things and how I deal with them has allowed me to be in gradual control of my beliefs, emotions and behaviours.
Hence once you have found yourself out of your comfort zone then you begin to understand who you truly are as a person, and that is when you also begin to understand what wisdom is.
Often we think we know ourselves; but wait till you find yourself out of your comfort zones, then you truly begin to understand who you are as a person. You tend to sit down and question your lifestyle and choices, your core values and beliefs. Even your professional and spiritual life is in the spotlight.
Feeling stressed, angry or lonely? I find that those are the times you get into your shell and do a little self-discovery. You learn what ticks you off and how best to deal with it. You learn whom you call your support system and whom not to call. You get to understand the true value of companionship and friendship. The interaction of people and the different connections and relations we make are the seedling to the life ahead of us. If we do not engage in and with people and our surroundings, good or bad, we make very little progress and remain, as they say, passive victims of life's circumstances. We need to go out there, out of our comfort zones to learn who we truly are.
So far, the two aspects that continuously stand out in my journey of self-discovery are perception and expression. My perception of living my best life allows me to experience life directly, objectively and fully, making the best of every situation in which I find myself. Secondly, my conscious expression of how I look at things and how I deal with them has allowed me to be in gradual control of my beliefs, emotions and behaviours.
Hence once you have found yourself out of your comfort zone then you begin to understand who you truly are as a person, and that is when you also begin to understand what wisdom is.
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