The search for the meaning of life and our purpose therein has puzzled people for thousands of years. Human beings are the only living creatures whose very existence is also an issue for it. We are the only living species that confront our existence as an ongoing concern, as something that we are always in the process of figuring out - internal questions often come to the front of mind like “Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose?”. Other living creatures, plants and animals aren’t saddled with the concern of their existence. Humans are the only creatures that exist in duality. The very word ‘individual’ alludes to the ‘indivisible duality’ of humans in our physical and metaphysical forms. What it means to be human is underpinned by the complexity of living as “the Self”, but also a “higher Self” - a possibility - a way of existing. The Self is never fully formed, instead, it is viewed as a perpetual, ever-developing way to be. We are perpetually seeking an unknown state of who or what we are becoming. Paradoxically, the blessing of being the most advanced of species is also saddled with the burden of an inescapable complex social dimension. The aforementioned burden expresses itself in myriad ways, for example - anxiety, depression, not-enoughness or unfulfillment to mention a few. We all bear the weight of this burden, some more than others.

Knowing who we are is hard. Understanding one’s true identity can be a conundrum, and the first step that truly leads to finding our identity in life is not knowing who we are but knowing who we are ‘not’. Who we are ‘not’ is just as important as who we are. The equation that leads to our identity oftentimes lies in a process of elimination. And defining ourselves by who we are not is the first step that leads us to knowing who we are.

To achieve this, consider not giving your time, energy and essence to people, places and things that do not serve you or the type of person you want to become. By so doing, you inadvertently find yourself spending more time with other people, in more places, doing things that bring you unbridled joy and meaning.

By simply eliminating the who(s), where(s) and the what(s) that stand between you and your identity, you rid yourself of the excesses that rob you of clarity. If you are able to do this successfully, you would have serendipitously, or almost innocently narrowed in on that which is indeed important to you and that which espouses your true identity.

Remember - “Once you know who you really are, being is enough. You feel neither superior to anyone nor inferior to anyone and you have no need for approval because you’ve awakened to your own infinite worth” - Deepak Chopra