You Don’t Know Who You Really Are Until You Use You True Power

The Other Self

“Humans have a soul which is their real higher self; a Divine, Mighty, Being.” — Edward Bach

Who are you as a person when challenged, or face insurmountable hardship? Have you met this person? If so, what did you learn about yourself? Regrettably, few people discover their true self until faced with extreme difficulties and pain. When we venture into the darkness; we meet this other self, or what I call the True Self.

I speak from experience because I have met this other self throughout my life. It took place when I was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness in the late 90s. The experience, which I wrote about in my first book, The Power To Navigate Life, pushed me to my breaking point. My coping mechanisms, the foundations of my being, no longer sustained me. Therefore, when our entire existence collapses in our darkest hour, we must transcend the known self and discover the True Self.

Here’s a thought: we don’t know the depth of our inner strength until we are called to use it in difficult situations. It is when we are challenged beyond our comfort zone; we discover who we really are. In difficult circumstances, we are forced to go deeper into ourselves and discover the resilience of our spiritual self. Hardships reveal our spirit of resilience. Were it not for the challenges, life would be easy-going and maybe monotonous. I’m not suggesting we use hardship to keep us amused, but to help us discover our greater self. We learn a lot about ourselves when challenged and why we mustn’t resist it but lean into it as best we can.

Life Is About Seasons And Transitions

“All the trees are losing their leaves, and not one of them is worried.” — Donald Miller

To expand on this idea further: our true power is not noticeable in normal circumstances. It is only apparent when we are pushed and pulled to our breaking point. Therefore, we must venture into the abyss of our deeper self to discover our pain threshold. This isn’t an exercise about extending our pain level, but learning to connect with our other self. The wisdom and strength we possess is beyond the physical mind-body and why I believe this to be our soul nature.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you experienced this other self through tragedy or misfortune? If so, what did you learn about yourself? For example, when I underwent treatment for my life-threatening illness, I discovered aspects about myself I never knew existed. It revealed my inner spirit and connected me with my soul self. Ever since then, I have been on a journey of awakening. This aspect of ourselves may not be obvious and we may only get a glimpse during tough times. That is why hardships reveal our genuine spirit, because it puts us on the path to encounter our Greater Self.

I have met countless people over the years who experienced tragic circumstances, such as road accidents or lost loved ones through tragedy. Each of them spoke of meeting this other self and connecting with their soul nature. Our perception of the world and ourselves changes because we must build a new model of reality. It reorientates us to other worldly dimensions. We awaken inner powers such as intuition, perception and other senses unexplainable to others.

To express it differently, your true power lies within your belief in overcoming problems. For example, if you believe you are incapable of overcoming difficulties, you will resist them and feel powerless. You might retreat into despair because you fear what might transpire. But life is about duality and contrast; inhabiting the darkness, weathering the storms, and enjoying good times. Life is about seasons and transitions. It is about inner transformations, which lead to outer changes. Life is cyclical, where hard times recede to give way to new beginnings. Are you satisfied with these ideas so far? I hope you’re getting the sense that you don’t discover the real ‘You’ when life is smooth sailing, but when pushed outside your comfort zone.

Take The Journey Into Yourself

“One secures the gold of the spirit when he finds himself.” — Claude M. Bristol

So, I ask you: what are choosing to believe about yourself? What experiences have shaped those beliefs? Are you willing to see yourself differently? Only you will know the answers to these questions when you take the journey into yourself. It is why I coach my clients to undertake self-enquiry, to discover their greater self. The exercise is not a spiritual practice that involves lighting candles, chanting ohms, or sitting in meditation. It is more practical. It involves sitting with yourself daily, first thing in the morning or last thing at night, and journaling what comes to mind. It is about putting on paper your innermost thoughts and discovering key insights about yourself. How do you respond in hard times? What lessons keep reappearing in your life? What are your weaknesses and how do you respond to them? What do you shy away from and why? This is what self-enquiry aims to awaken in us; our true nature as spiritual beings.

With this in mind, I invite you to read through the article once more and answer the questions I asked you in your journal. They are purposefully intended to help you undertake the practice of self-enquiry. I realise it may sound like homework, particularly if you don’t journal, but it will help you discover yourself on a deeper level. We learn about ourselves through self-enquiry and through our relationships with others. If we are repeating the same lessons, we are not growing, but remaining stuck in a cycle of helplessness. You will transcend your difficulties when you can see your challenges from the level of the soul. After all, you don’t know who really are until you are called to use your true power. The source of this power can only be found by connecting with our greater self in times of difficulties.