“The necessary thing is after all but this; solitude, great inner solitude. Going into oneself for hours meeting no one — this one must be able to attain.”

It’s not just for a young poet to go deep into one self and “disconnect,” as we say today. It’s good for all of us. We’re social creatures, but that is not the problem. We are always social. We live on social media. We live constantly in and around the interruptions and urgencies of others and life’s demands. It is healthy and necessary for self-integration to go deep inside oneself, at least for intervals, at least from time to time. Rilke also writes: "Nobody can advise you and help you, nobody. There is only one way. Go into yourself."

This podcast focuses on self-exploration and personal identity -- to help you construct who you are, and how you want to feel, think, believe, and behave for yourself. The book Who Do You Think You Are is also available at all major e-retailers, and you can find it at bigselfschool.com/store. Check out our two-hour classes on how to build resiliency, how to discover what you want, how to like yourself more, how to find calm, how to bounce forward after failure, and many more at bigselfschool.com.