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Ep24 Don’t I Already Know Myself

Hello and Welcome to the Way of the Emotional Warrior Podcast. My name is Kai Ehnes and today we will be answering the question of Don’t I Already Know Myself?

Most people think they already know themselves but in reality they don’t. What do you mean I don’t know myself? Of course I do. I live with myself 24/7. Hm…if only it were that easy…

So how do you recognize if you know yourself? You can start with an inventory. The typical inventories would look at sectors of your life like family, relationships, finances and the like, and these are actually good places to look. However, I want to dig deeper.

Let’ say that you actually have your categories fairly well in check. Life is actually moving along nicely for you. Of course there are hiccups and bumps but you generally bob and weave and adjust as needed. Yet there is a nagging voice, you know the voice I am talking about. It speaks to you and makes you question what you have going on.

In a way the voice is a nag and causes you imbalance in your life at times. On the other hand, the voice is your soul talking to and with you. The last few episodes have looked into that topic. The soul is a powerful part of your life. And a great way to connect with it and keep it active in your life is to breathe into and through your heart creating heart-mind coherence.

While that is a great way to be present is there a way to connect the voice, your heart, and your soul? Of course there is. It is the path of the Emotional Warrior. Emotional balance and fruitful expression is the way of the warrior.

An interesting piece of research made its way across my feed today. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, senior author Dilip V. Jeste states that “those people with meaning and purpose in their lives are happier and healthier than those without.” Further in the study they found the age where meaning in life is found…

Drum roll please…the magic age is 60. Over 1000 people ranging from 21 to over 100 participated. The results show that up to 60 a person is on the side of searching for meaning while at 60 the presence of meaning is at its highest. Since life expectancy goes well beyond that it gets interesting after 60 because the search component starts all over again.

Mental well-being was positively associated with aging and Presence but negatively with Search. The study’s conclusion is that finding meaning in one’s life constitutes a sound strategy for thriving in later years — in part because it supports the preservation of a person’s physical and mental well-being.

Let’s organize all of this.

1. You truly benefit from actually knowing yourself.

2. A great place to look at this is by age. 20 to late 50’s and searching for meaning in life is normal. This search creates careers, friendships, community engagement etc..

3. Most things have settled down at this point and by the age of 60 you are at the peak of presence of meaning. You have arrived so to speak.

4. However, past 60 sets you up for the next chapter in your life. New things matter in your life. The chase for certain worldly affairs have subsided.

5. New goals come into your life.

This sets up the need to have your emotions online in a balanced and harmonious fashion. This balance allows you enter the 3rd chapter of your life with passion, caring and compassion allowing you to experience more growth and fulfilment.

Can you see how this all falls into the awareness of knowing yourself? Doing so allows you to expand how you live and experience who you want to be. Living an authentic life with your inner world in coherence allowing you to create the external life that reflects your inner awesomeness.

This is the life journey of an emotional warrior.

Peace.