Know Your True Self By Dr Jenelle Kim
Jenelle Kim is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and nationally board-certified in Herbology, Oriental Medicine, and Acupuncture. Jenelle is devoted to integrating the philosophy, medical wisdom, and expertise of East Asia with the advancements of modern life and medicine of the West to touch and positively affect the lives of others.
Her upcoming book, Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation, represents a meeting place between Tao philosophy and mindfulness. It offers a way of being that is calm, decisive, and harmonious. With it, you will be able to resolve conflict, walk through stress, and accomplish your life goals. This book introduces Myung Sung's "living meditation" as a way to achieve a life of balance and happiness. Using eight simple keys, readers can enjoy all the benefits of meditation in every minute of every day. Here, Jenelle discusses the first key and how you can learn to Know Your True Self.
To know your true self is to be your own guide and your own guard.
In this life, it is so vital to know your true self - to be aware of yourself. All of the answers in this life are found in nature and the universe around you which means that all of the answers can be found within yourself because you are a microcosm of the universe.
In order to be connected to the universe and to those around us we first have to be aware of and be present with our own self. It is so important to remember that you have the power. You have a choice in everything that you do. So often in life, when imbalanced situations arise that cause stress and overwhelm, whether it is an argument with a loved one, tension at work or within our community, it is vital to take a moment to remember that you have the choice whether to react or to respond to the situation that you find yourself in.
When you react, you act by emotion and this often leads to blaming others or the situation around you. This takes it outside of yourself and can soon become chaotic and completely out of your control. When you take a moment to ground yourself and become aware of your own self you are able to root yourself and gain the ability to see yourself more clearly. By seeing yourself more clearly you are able to see the situation around you more clearly. Then you are able to balance with your given situation instead of reacting based on emotion.
Knowing your true self starts with awareness and requires accountability. Then you have to make a choice and that choice has to be followed through with action. By doing this you gain strength, you empower yourself and you take control of your own reality because the only thing you can control in this life is yourself.
So, how do we do this in our daily lives?
It only takes a few moments and can be done anywhere
When you find yourself in an imbalanced or stressful situation start by taking a breath and focusing your attention inwards. For me, I like to focus on the point right between my brows or what we call our third eye. In that moment you take a breath, eyes can be opened or closed, feel yourself becoming aware of yourself, and physically feel yourself become more grounded. Then, as the grounding feeling strengthens, you make a choice if you want to respond or react. By taking this moment and becoming aware and accountable you will be able to make a clear decision and, by being more clear, you are then able to harmonize the situation or the person in front of you.
Sometimes it’s our own mind that we can’t seem to control or seem to calm. It takes awareness to realize it’s our minds spinning out and not anything outside of us. In the moment that we become aware that we’re doing this, we gain the power to calm our mind and be present in our space.
Through this, you will gain so much strength and power within you. This is how we can achieve peace in our daily lives no matter what is happening in our surroundings.
This is something that no one can take away from you.
This is the power of knowing your true self.
Read more on Jenelle’s eight simple keys here.
