Discover Yourself

"To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Have you ever taken a minute to ask yourself, "What do I really love?" I mean, how can you be happy with your life if you don't have the answer to this question, right? And if you have asked, how long did you give yourself to listen for an answer? A minute, an hour, a day… May I suggest a journey of sorts?

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I believe I mentioned that my move to Texas was challenging. I had just completed a huge design project, sold my house, packed my family, said good-bye to friends, and moved into a rather bleak new home — all within a 2 month period. Whew! The depression set in…which is how I came upon feng shui. But simultaneously, I was relying on a familiar technique I used throughout college — illustrated journaling. Typically, when I find ideas or thoughts I like, I find a way of capturing them in a notebook. But the stuff that makes my soul sing, well, these things go right into my journal.

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By 2008, I was busy and running too many directions to keep a journal…or so I thought. As this new year began, I pulled out a blank, fresh journal (I keep many, many notebooks by my bed). In looking for a new journal, I was reacquainted with one of my 2007 illustrated journals. It felt like a homecoming as I opened the pages…the quotes, the pictures, my notes, all reminders of my quest to cultivate peace and happiness within myself. 2008 might have been busy, but by ignoring this ritual, I know I robbed myself of a full year's worth of self discovery.

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Find a way to collect and display what you love, what brings joy or comfort into your soul, what seeps energy into your being, what you authentically desire… By doing so, I promise you will have the map to who you really are. And as a writer, all I can say is what a creative and fulfilling way to begin the revision process!