Though you may think you know yourself, very often the parts of you that shine brightest are hidden from your eyes. Like a fish not understanding the nature of water, you might not understand why people love you so much. But if you’re willing to discover your essence, you might be surprised by the opportunities that unfold.
Recently I did an exercise with my coach to help me reveal or discover my essence. The exercise involved me calling people from various parts of my life and asking them what shows up in a room when I show up. Most of the answers I got back I’d heard before, but a few surprised me.
That’s the thing about our essence and who we are. It’s like walking around with spinach in our teeth—it’s invisible to us, but obvious to everyone else.
My essence words that we discovered were these:
- Brilliance
- Integrity
- Commitment
- Adventure
- Passion2
- Play
These are the things that show up when I’m rested, inspired, and ready to play. And knowing them presents to me both a invitation and a challenge. An invitation to let myself be these even when others may react in unpredictable ways, and a challenge to push myself to create the kind of life that supports me in being more of these every day.
So this is my essence. And I’m curious to know: what’s yours? If you know, great! Send me a short note and tell me about it.
And if you don’t know right now, that’s okay. It’s never too late to ask those around you about the power you show up with each and every day—even if you’re not completely sure it’s true.