Have you ever asked yourself the question, What makes me me? Well, the real answer can only come from your spirit—your power within. It's that voice inside you that you can hear when it's quiet and you're alone with your thoughts and feelings. It's easy for that inner voice to be drowned out1 by insecurities, a hectic2 schedule, or the louder voices of friends and family. But you've got to listen to it carefully, because your spirit gives you power and guidance—it urges you to follow your heart and study music even though your parents want you to be a lawyer. It gnaws3 at you until you finally break up with a negative friend. You see, your spirit is the truth of who you are. And when you honor it, you'll feel stronger , happier, and more at peace with yourself—and others.

What＇s Your Truth?

Sometimes in life, when you don't think you have answers, you're forced to fill in the blanks. Challenge4 yourself to fill in these blanks below about your own personal truth. It may not be easy—this could be the first time you've stopped to think about what you're really made of. But discovering what makes you unique is the most crucial5 step in self-understanding. Complete the following sentences with the first thing that comes into your mind. Be honest, and if you can't think of anything, then write down the things you want for your life. This is about finding your truth so that you can honor your spirit.

Recognize6 Your Inner Beauty
I am beautiful because____

Recognize Your Power
I am powerful because _____

Recognize Your Greatness
I am great because_____

Recognize Your Strength
I am strong enough to ______

Recognize Your Talents
I am really good at _______

Recognize Your Passion
I really love to _______

Accepting Your Truth

Now use the worksheet7 to dig even deeper. Each answer that immediately popped into8 your head proves that you're already on your way to honoring your spirit. But it's the questions you may have struggled with that you need to work on. You do have the answers to all those questions—they're in your everyday life. It's stuff like the way you know how to make a friend smile when she's having a bad day, your love of mountain climbing, your dreams of winning an Academy Award. But sometimes things block you from acknowledging your truth. It could be fear and insecurity, or maybe you think that it's not okay to praise yourself. Honoring your spirit is a process that's difficult at first because you have to learn how to let go of those negative feelings. But you must, because if you beat yourself up about everything, how can you recognize your greatness? Everyone has something they are ashamed of, are afraid of, or feel guilty about. But try to see your scars as beauty marks—it's your flaws that help create your true, beautiful self. And when you can accept the parts of yourself that you don't like, you're discovering the whole you—your spirit.

Living Your Truth

Once you've discovered your truth, live up to9 it every day—that's what will bring you real happiness. On the days when you find it a challenge—you have that uncomfortable feeling of being fake or untrue to yourself—repeat this affirmation10: “I came into this life a winner, and no matter what, I am a winner. ” Throughout your life, constantly test whether or not you're really honoring your spirit and doing what's right for you. How? Just stop, be quiet, and ask the power within—and pay close attention to the response11.

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“是什么造就了本真的我？”你是否问过自己这样的问题？当然，真正的答案只能来自你的灵魂，即内在的力量。那是一种内在的声音。当一切静下来，当你独自面对自己的思想和感觉，你听到的就是这种声音。不安，忙忙碌碌的日程安排，亲朋好友的大声谈笑，都很容易淹没掉内在声音。但是，你得仔细聆听，因为你的灵魂赋予你力量，为你导航——它会促使你跟随你的内心，当你的父母要你做名律师时，你却学习音乐。灵魂会咬住你不放，直到你与不良朋友一刀两断。瞧，灵魂就是你的真我。一旦你尊重灵魂，你就会感觉到更有力，更幸福，而且内心会更平和，与他人也就更能和睦相处。

真我是什么？

生活中即便有时你不知如何回答这个问题，但也得强迫自己回答。下面的填空题全部涉及你个人的真实情况，你不妨试着做做吧。或许有一定难度，但，这可能是你第一次静下心来思考自己究竟是一个什么样的人。不过，发现自己的与众不同是了解自我最关键的一步。根据自己的第一直觉，完成下列填空。实事求是，如果答不上来，就写上自己的生活期望。这事关对自我的认识，对灵魂的尊重。

认识自己的内在美
我美丽是因为________

认识自己的能力
我能干是因为________

认识自己的伟大
我伟大是因为________

认识自己的力量
我坚强得足以________

认识自己的才华
我特别擅长__________  
认识自己的爱好
我特别喜欢__________

接受真我

现在来进一步研究这份答卷。第一时间闪现在你脑海里的答案足以说明你正在尊重自己的灵魂。但是，那些看来费劲的问题恰恰是你要努力解决的。你肯定能回答这些问题，因为答案都在生活之中。譬如，当朋友心情不佳时，怎样让她露出笑容，你对登山运动的热爱，或是梦想荣获学院奖（奥斯卡金像奖）等等。但是，有时一些东西会妨碍你认识真我。也许是出于恐惧或不安全感，也许是你认为自我吹嘘有点不妥。尊重灵魂最初可能一个艰难的过程，因为你得学会消除那些负面的感觉。可是，你必须学会这样去做，原因很简单：你如果凡事都苛责自己，又怎能认识到自己的伟大呢？每个人都会遇到一些事情让自己感觉到羞愧、害怕或是内疚。但是，尽量把自己的疤痕看作美人痣——正是你的瑕疵帮助造就了真实美丽的自我。一旦能接受你身上那些自己不喜欢的东西，你就会发现完整的你——你的灵魂。

生活在真我之中

一旦你发现了真我，就应当每天都做一个真实的你——因为正是这给你带来了快乐。倘若哪一天，你面临挑战，对做一个虚假、不真实的你感到别扭——请重复这句话：“我是作为胜利者来到这个世界的，无论怎样，我都是一个胜利者。”一生中，要不时地考查自己是否在尊重自己的灵魂，做正确的事情。如何做到这一点呢？只需停下手里的活，静下心来，向内在的力量寻求答案——并密切关注它的反应。
 

 

1. drown out   淹没；使听不见
2． hectic  adj． 狂热的，兴奋的
3． gnaw   v． 咬，啃，消耗
4． challenge   v． 向…挑战
5． crucial  adj． 至关紧要的
6． recognize   v． 认识；了解
7． worksheet   n． 工作表
8． pop into突然出现
9． live up to 真正做到，生活得无愧于
10． affirmation  n． 断言，肯定
11． response    n． 响应，反应