Susan's Place Transgender Resources

The next poll I wanted to get into the self-concept a bit more, androgynes and others if they wish to participate. More internal type information, then other polls i have done. The first poll is sorta based off of chillin's question (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,15741.0.html) which I listed as part of the answer. For the poll part I am asking what specific methods you use to learn about yourself and who you are. You can post additional methods if these dont cover your choice.

Feel free to talk about additional points about getting to know yourself, or share experiences bellow. I quoted some info to help possibly facilitate additional discussions.

QuoteProcess Of Acceptance
Acceptance exists at the core of your being. It is your default status. In order to reach this base level of acceptance, you need only remove the items laying on top. To do this, you must first identify all the things you do not accept about yourself. Then, one by one, eliminate them by examinging and questioning your beliefs around that issue.

Know yourself and your beliefs
Take a good hard look at your honesty level
Know you are doing the best you can
Relax your value judgments
Examine guilt
Understand your motivations
Ask yourself questions about what you don't accept

QuoteHow well do you really know yourself?

What unique gifts, talents and skills do you bring to this world?
What specific issues represent your life challenges?
How much of your life is controlled by your personality? Inspired by your soul?
What underlying semi-conscious motives run your life?
What gives you meaning and purpose?

An Overview - how we uncover our own truth
Gather Your Strengths and Uniqueness
Be Aware of Weaknesses and Challenges
Identify with your Soul

I only know myself to certain extend; fragments and partials that make up my being. In a way I hope I will never truly know myself since it gives me the opportunity to continuesly discover more, conduct little experiments and feel alive as I wander through the world and that of my own. Perhaps what it all comes down to is that I consider myself a free spirit not desiring to be tied down to any place or belief. ;) Ever-wandering  8)

I chose I know myself, but would add that it is a never ending process of discovery. I keep finding out new things, disregarding old certainties as I gain deeper understanding into my inner truths.

zythyra

I know that I am not as adventurous as I'd like to be, or is it that the adventures don't come?

im currently working through a book called the artists way and i highly reamend it to anyone to try it can be related a lot to knowing your true self as well as becoming an artist. the morning pages are a great idea. helps you to really think what your doing

QuoteQuote
Process Of Acceptance
Acceptance exists at the core of your being. It is your default status. In order to reach this base level of acceptance, you need only remove the items laying on top. To do this, you must first identify all the things you do not accept about yourself. Then, one by one, eliminate them by examinging and questioning your beliefs around that issue.

Know yourself and your beliefs
Take a good hard look at your honesty level
Know you are doing the best you can
Relax your value judgments
Examine guilt
Understand your motivations
Ask yourself questions about what you don't accept



Quote
How well do you really know yourself?

What unique gifts, talents and skills do you bring to this world?
What specific issues represent your life challenges?
How much of your life is controlled by your personality? Inspired by your soul?
What underlying semi-conscious motives run your life?
What gives you meaning and purpose?

An Overview - how we uncover our own truth
Gather Your Strengths and Uniqueness
Be Aware of Weaknesses and Challenges
Identify with your Soul

Since those days I decided to start living for my own self, is the days when my own self-awareness and self-knowledge which has lead to self-acceptance.

I didnt used to trust myself. Fear more of dictated my life. Not only did I not think about what I wanted nor what was good for me, I let my family and close friends map out my life. I was afraid to even look at what I wanted sometimes. And set up self-sabotage and reasons why I couldn't be who deep inside I was. I had a false sense of comfort in living a life that although I thought went along smooth and without conflict, was tearing my very identity to a breaking point. I tried to live a life without conflict, though really what I needed was that very conflict, and to sometimes go against the fears, beliefs of others, to not let habit dictate my decisions, and to think about the "unthinkable". And the hardest part for me was deciding to decide, and to 'be', 'do', and 'try'.

Posted on: July 14, 2007, 05:06:48 PM

---

So I guess the result so far of this poll would leave one to guess the more popular and maybe best methods to learn about oneself are these in order. So try one of these activities or actions out and see what you learn.

Or if your main way of learning is one of the ones at the bottom, try something higher up. And this should help peel away the layers of unacceptable parts of one's life, and correct inaccurate beliefs, and create more acceptance after solving more questions and riddles.

Quote
Introspection  10 (14.7%)
Talking with others  8 (11.8%)
Having Experiences  8 (11.8%)
Researching information  7 (10.3%)
Journal  6 (8.8%)
Compare self to others  5 (7.4%)
Reading-Books that Inspire  5 (7.4%)
Music  3 (4.4%)
Friends, Family, Work, School  3 (4.4%)
Religious Belief  1 (1.5%)
Others told me who I am  1 (1.5%)
Television, Movies  0 (0%)
Other, I will explain in my post bellow  0 (0%)

As of 19 Votes

QuoteIntrospection  16 (13%)
Having Experiences  15 (12.2%)
Talking with others  14 (11.4%)
Researching information  13 (10.6%)
Compare self to others  9 (7.3%)
Journal  7 (5.7%)
Friends, Family, Work, School  7 (5.7%)
Reading-Books that Inspire  6 (4.9%)
Music  6 (4.9%)
Religious Belief  4 (3.3%)
Others told me who I am  4 (3.3%)
Television, Movies  3 (2.4%)
Other, I will explain in my post bellow  1 (0.8%)

Actually, I don't really know myself. And it bugs me tremendously. I just took two weeks from work due to severe depression and a lovely sinus infection. The sinus thing cleared up awhile ago, yet I can't bring myself to go back to work. I don't /want/ to spend time there, among people. I don't want to be strong and upbeat and friendly and a leader. Ye gods, I simply want to be left the hell alone.
I want to go find myself. But I can't do that. I can't afford it.

Some days I think I have a clue about myself, and other days I'm sure I don't even know this person looking in the mirror.

Things have changed so much in my life over the past 15-18 months (since I admited my gender wasn't male) that nothing I learn about myself surprises me...and it seems like I am learning something all the time.   I have found facets of myself that I have began encouraging, and some feelings and prejudices that I have worked hard to eliminate.

Most of my self-knowledge has come from introspection and reading, but nothing beats a true friend who asks very specific questions and hold you accountable for what you do.

......Laurry

        I know part of myself and am still searching for the rest of me.   I have found that I am very close to the same person I was at 17 years of age but without the intense insecurity.

        I can relate to what K/K wrote concerning

QuoteI didnt used to trust myself. Fear more of dictated my life. Not only did I not think about what I wanted nor what was good for me, I let my family and close friends map out my life. I was afraid to even look at what I wanted sometimes. And set up self-sabotage and reasons why I couldn't be who deep inside I was. I had a false sense of comfort in living a life that although I thought went along smooth and without conflict, was tearing my very identity to a breaking point. I tried to live a life without conflict, though really what I needed was that very conflict, and to sometimes go against the fears, beliefs of others, to not let habit dictate my decisions, and to think about the "unthinkable". And the hardest part for me was deciding to decide, and to 'be', 'do', and 'try'.

    I'm not really worried that I'll never completely know myself.  I just know that I am a good person who tries to do the best I can helping others to understand that they are good too.

   This is a nice topic.

I would say that I know Myself a lot better recently than i did several years ago.
Ive been through several "crisises" of starting to recognise my true self and deal with it and then denying who Iam and pretending that I was a normal person.
I let my fears of what others *may* think overrule my quest for understanding who I truly am.
I screwed up my life by not understanding myself earlier in my life.
My life would have been a lot different,if I would have just totally went where my heart was telling me.

I know myself better than most people I've met. I like to spend time in introspection to stay up to date on myself. I still discover new things, and I think I always will. I agree with zythyra, it is a never-ending process.  :)