(3) Self-knowledge - Inner Eye
Look inside and survey yourself. Notice inherent personality traits and learned behaviours. View your stress triggers: who or what presses your buttons? Any perfectionist tendencies?
Picture your coping mechanisms. See where improvements can be made. Envisage your truly astonishing self – you are a unique and beautiful person - act accordingly.
How well do you know yourself? If you are anything like the majority of people, probably not as well as you might like to think! Nearly 1500 years ago Socrates exhorted his students to “know thyself”.
By engaging in the realm of self-knowledge, you are being challenged to know yourself better - body, mind and spirit. Your unique characteristics are the combined result of your genetic inheritance and the effects of your nurture environment.
Look to your parents and grandparents for signs of inherited features. Search your childhood memories and later life experiences - pleasant and unpleasant - for behavioural influences.
Using your Inner Eye, imagine you are introduced to yourself for the first time. As a new encounter and learning experience, you ask probing questions and your answers provide fundamental self-knowledge.
Here are a few sample questions: select to answer any that resonate with you, without reproach.
What are your strengths and weaknesses and do you capitalise your strengths in a positive way?
Are you a closet perfectionist? Take note that perfection does not exist and the notion of it is a hindrance to happiness.
How conscientious are you? This trait is characterised by purposeful action, self-discipline and a drive to achieve.
Can you adapt well under changing circumstances?
Are you someone with good coping mechanisms?
What or who presses your buttons?
Are you good at finding balance between work and play - any relaxation issues?
Is self-motivation difficult or easy for you?
Do you dwell heavily on negative aspects of past stressful situations or are you good at finding silver linings?
Are you somewhat impatient? Accepting ‘what is’ gives calmer results.
Do you let powerful urges overrule common sense - food, drink, sex, pills, needless purchases?
Do you spread yourself too thinly so that nothing gets the full attention it deserves?
Do you find it easy to empathise with people and show genuine compassion?
Finally ask how to give the best of yourself everyday – this is the essence of achieving self-knowledge.
This Rune is a member of
The Inquiry Set encompassing attributes which require active curiosity, objective reasoning, the capacity to question yourself and mind training.
"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."
Return to Interpretations
By engaging in the realm of self-knowledge, you are being challenged to know yourself better - body, mind and spirit. Your unique characteristics are the combined result of your genetic inheritance and the effects of your nurture environment.
Look to your parents and grandparents for signs of inherited features. Search your childhood memories and later life experiences - pleasant and unpleasant - for behavioural influences.
Using your Inner Eye, imagine you are introduced to yourself for the first time. As a new encounter and learning experience, you ask probing questions and your answers provide fundamental self-knowledge. Here are a few sample questions: select to answer any that resonate with you, without reproach.
What are your strengths and weaknesses and do you capitalise your strengths in a positive way?
Are you a closet perfectionist? Take note that perfection does not exist and the notion of it is a hindrance to happiness.
How conscientious are you? This trait is characterised by purposeful action, self-discipline and a drive to achieve.
Can you adapt well under changing circumstances?
Are you someone with good coping mechanisms?
What or who presses your buttons?
Are you good at finding balance between work and play - any relaxation issues?
Is self-motivation difficult or easy for you?
Do you dwell heavily on negative aspects of past stressful situations or are you good at finding silver linings?
Are you somewhat impatient? Accepting ‘what is’ gives calmer results.
Do you let powerful urges overrule common sense - food, drink, sex, pills, needless purchases?
Do you spread yourself too thinly so that nothing gets the full attention it deserves?
Do you find it easy to empathise with people and show genuine compassion?
Finally ask how to give the best of yourself everyday – this is the essence of achieving self-knowledge.
This Rune is a member of The Inquiry Set encompassing attributes which require active curiosity, objective reasoning, the capacity to question yourself and mind training.
"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."
Return to Interpretations