It's just... In fact, for many people it's far from simple. We are all our childhood selves, when spontaneity, curiosity, initiative and cheerfulness are alive. With age, sometimes beliefs, boundaries, restrictions increase, we are not entirely environmentally friendly (we hear criticism, but do not understand the motive of the speaker), we take other people’s words and follow the wrong path (we deviate from our goals and go along with what seems right to us and true). ( / / ) How do you understand that you have lost yourself and don’t know who you really are? The answer is simple - if you are unhappy. If you are not joyful deep down in your soul, you are not living the life you would like, you are in a relationship with people who don’t hear/respect/value you. If you devote yourself to the wrong activities and so on. How can we get ourselves back? - Start to hear your inner voice. If you have not heard yourself for a long time and lived according to given scenarios and roles, at first you will reason with the attitudes and thoughts of your environment, which can be expressed in condemnation, evaluation and non-acceptance. However, the more we immerse ourselves in research (not to be confused with soul-searching), the more clearly we understand where our desire is our own, and where it is imposed by the past. - To fulfill our desires. Naturally, we are talking about those that are aimed at your development, not destruction. If you want to drink alcohol to forget, this is not your true desire. But taking a timeout and spending time alone with yourself is closer to the truth. It is no coincidence that this is the second point, and not the first :) when you start listening to your inner voice, you will be able to gradually understand what you really want. - Talk about yourself with those who love and accept you. Or at least knows how to listen. This could be a person who knows you well (but does not impose his vision of you) or a specialist who is able to reveal and show you your essence and characteristics, what distinguishes you from other people. - Remember what you once said dreamed. Start dreaming again. Sometimes dreams hide your potential and what makes you, you. For this reason, it is very important to pay attention to this. There are many techniques for visualizing your desires (try to imagine what you want, feel this image and immerse yourself in this picture). - Transform the space around you. Look around you, what do you see and observe every day? Maybe you want to change/improve/add something? If you want, add some colors and colors, let your brain enjoy and absorb what it needs. In addition, you can read about color therapy. - Remember your values ​​and principles. Become aware of them. What makes you you, what you are willing to protect and stand up for. Without which your life is meaningless. What goes with you in parallel throughout all periods? Something changes in our lives, something remains. So this is what remains - it adds up to our personality and is related to our essence. - Defend your personal boundaries in your interactions with people. If you feel discomfort/pressure/stress when interacting with people, it is likely that your boundaries are being violated, so start observing first and then asserting your opinion, saying no and caring about your values. Being yourself is an art that is difficult but exciting at the same time . Develop yourself, open up, dream, dare, and the world will really get used to it. The article was written with the inspiration and support of Grisha Izmailov. More various articles on the channel in Zen.