Many of us go through our lives skimming the surface of our identities, not thinking too much about who we are and how we got here. For whatever reason, we don’t dig very deeply into our thoughts, feelings, desires and dreams. We just are who we are, with a lifetime of experiences that have shaped us; we can’t do much about changing things now.

If that’s how we see ourselves, stuck with the hand we were dealt, it’s rather a waste of potential, both for us and for those around us. Having a deeper understanding of ourselves has many benefits, helping us understand and accept who we are and why we do what we do, which in turn helps to improve self-esteem, self-worth, health, communication and relationships. It also helps those around us see us in all our richness and complexity, which in turn rewards us by being properly seen and heard.

What does this mean in practice? It depends on how serious we are in making the effort to understand ourselves, and the opportunities and techniques that we choose to explore. For some it may be a spiritual route such as yoga or meditation; for others it may be therapy or counselling – and you don’t need to be in crisis to check out any of these!

Self-exploration involves taking a good deep look at our thoughts, feelings, behaviors and motivations; asking important questions about ourselves. It’s about looking for the roots of who we are, which is surely worth the effort.