Who Am I?
Defining Yourself from the Inside Out

By Margo Zwald

Today’s magazines are full of “tests” to help you define who you are. All these tests categorize your answers and then create a label to tell you how you typically act and think. While these tests can be helpful, I have found it more helpful to define myself from the inside out. By reflecting on my personal reactions to certain symbols and words, I have found my authentic self without the labels. I create my own labels and I did not allow anyone to put me in a category or rate me.

Here are some exercises that I found very useful. The following “Who am I?” exercises are designed to bring out this personal information in a positive, fun light. Select one or more; write out your answer, keep it. In a month, six months or a year, go back and answer them again.

Instructions: decide your answer quickly; do not edit or write the answer you think you should. Your answer is designed to help you explore your authentic self. Every response is correct.

1. Which element are you-earth, fire, water, wind? After you write your answer, write as many adjectives describing that element as you can think of and then describe actions or verbs that apply to it. Examples: water soothes and it is blue. Wind is invisible and it touches. Keep adding to a list as you think of adjectives and characteristics. According to Laurie Beth Jones, author of The Path, these words reflect who you are.

Personal exploration

Find one or more words on the list that appeal to you. Look them up in a thesaurus and dictionary to find words that are related to them so you can clarify the concepts.

For example I am the wind and the word “flow” is my key word because I like the concepts of freedom, creativity, exploration, curiosity and expression. It may take a while to find the key word(s); keep working at it, a little at a time.

Visualize it

Collect pictures that reflect your element or key words and make a collage. If you like to sketch, draw a picture that reflects your key phrase. You do not have to show it to anyone. If you have the inclination, create a song or dance that reflects the key words. Keep it private or share it as you wish.

2. What is your favorite animal or what animal would you be? Create a list of words that you associate with the animal or write a statement of why you would be that animal. I want to be one of my spoiled cats or a cat of the sky - a hawk. Follow the personal exploration instructions stated above.

3. In the same vein, pick your favorite flower and color. I wrote a very insightful paragraph about the dandelion which is my personal symbol. I also love yellow because it reminds me of the warm sun and the dandelion.

4. Jim Rosemergy, author of many books on prosperity and mysticism, asks the following:

“If you were a single letter in the alphabet, what letter would you be? Do you stand alone, or are you a part of another word, another sentence, a great literary work, or a phrase that speaks of the truth of our being?” Of course I selected the letter Z, what else?

5. Find something beautiful and write a brief description of why it is beautiful. Now find something ugly and look at it again to find something beautiful about it. Why is it ugly? How did you manage to turn it into something beautiful? Use this same pattern to reflect on the concepts of what you hate and love and also on any negative labels that you have about anything or anyone.

These reflections help you learn a little more about yourself. The advantage is that the researcher is you and you do not pay anyone to tell you who you are. What you do with it is your business. How you communicate this information is your decision alone.

Margo Zwald speaks to organizations on how we use flower and animal symbolism for communication. For a daily pause of reflection go to dandylines.biz. You can sign up to receive that message every day!