8 Ways To Find Your Spiritual True Self

Have you ever asked yourself, “who am I” — a question that comes from the deepest part of your heart rather than from the ego that holds your personality and ability?

I did, years ago. It took me a long time and a lot of experiences laid out like a labyrinth to get to a point where I felt authentic with who I really was and the highest mission of my soul. Finding my true self was a journey rather than a final destination. It was a calling I didn’t choose to hear and answer, yet impossible to ignore because it always finds its way to me. Clueless about where and how to start, I took one step at a time and trusted my instinct that led me to a deeper understanding of myself.

Without any intention to discourage, I need to be honest about this subject, that finding your true self is filled with discomfort, confusing (and can be deceiving) revelations, and endless confrontations with your inner demons. It will test your character and determination to shift from old to new, and from playing a role you were told to play to playing it your way. It is a quest to discern your sacred purpose and how to serve it to the world without expecting any reward or recognition.

2 Types Of True Self

Nowadays, the term ‘true self’ is used in different ways with different meanings. However, for a better understanding of what we are talking about, I’ll explain the meaning of true self through its two types — the ego true self and the spiritual true self.

Ego True Self

Ego is neither good nor bad. It is part of our consciousness that works on physical reality and goes through stages of evolution that could evolve as far as its most authentic state. Ego true self is based on personality — the most authentic version of your behavior, character, and beliefs that are known to you and by other people. It is who you are when you are alone, vulnerable, and without pretension.

Some examples of ego true self are:

• Statements like, “I am just being true to myself…” or “This is me…”
• Behaving comfortably without fearing what other people might think of you, as long as you are not harming anyone
• It is who you are when nobody’s looking

Are they familiar to you? Yes, this is the type of self we have the easiest access to because it operates on the conscious mind. The one that the mind can perceive and interpret through knowledge and wisdom acquired through experiences. It is the coming of age where you have a strong sense of who you are as an individual. 

As a kid I used to be extremely friendly to avoid being tagged as boring and rude, even though deep inside, I was an introvert. I had to pretend to gain friends and acceptance from others. But now that I am in my thirties, I am no longer bothered by people’s perception or judgment anymore. I became comfortable with prioritizing my needs, saying no if necessary, and doing things that I love without craving for admiration from others.

Spiritual True Self

The spiritual true self is the identity of the soul. It is your Higher Self. The one that transcends the ego or the mind and cannot be justified by reasoning because its home is the soul. In this context, finding your true self is believing you are a piece of the Creator and living in alignment with your soul’s purpose. The thing is, even though the soul is one with the body, we only give attention to our physiology because it is what our senses can perceive. It takes a higher spiritual frequency to sense what the mind alone cannot. 

On the day we were born, we forgot the understanding that pointed us to our true nature — that even before we were physical beings, we were spiritual beings first. It is our perpetual identity because the soul never dies. But as we go on, our physical experiences on earth and the people we spend time with carve our personality, character, and beliefs that create a new version of reality. We were taught to focus on the concerns of the world rather than remembering our authentic selves and mission.

To remember you must be willing to go through redirection. To shift your focus from physical to eternal, from material world to what matters to your soul. Finding your spiritual true self is to reconnect your soul’s identity and purpose to awaken it from a deep sleep.

Here are 8 tips to help you find your spiritual true self

1. Recognize that you are a soul, not just a personality

Try this simple exercise: Close your eyes and quiet your mind. Take 3 mindful breaths and imagine a ball of light standing at the center of your heart. Spread the ball of light to your entire body and imagine it flowing to the tip of your head, fingers, and toes.

Do you feel the energy within? It is because you are not just a physical being but also a soul that is in every single cell of your body. When you recognize that you are a soul more than anything you thought you were, you will realize that how you look on the outside is not the only way to be. That there is something bigger than the self you knew that needs attention and care to uncover the causes of fears that hold you back, or the limiting beliefs that block you from choosing your greatest desire.

Knowing that you are a soul commences the exploration of your true identity and the mission you have to live. It helps you separate the ego and the soul and make them work together instead of resisting each other as if they’re made to be enemies.

2. Know that you are not how the world sees you

The world is persistent in convincing us that we are our looks, intellect, and abilities. You have to think outside of that lie and constantly remind yourself that you are not the way the world defines you. Even if your true self is still a blur, one thing is for sure: you are not the collection of people’s opinions of you.

You are who you are when nobody’s looking and judging. Live as if your life is not controlled by the rules of the world but by the voice of your soul. It liberates you from false narratives and bridges the gap between your body, mind, and spirit.

3. Discover your passion and act on it

Your passion is connected to your sacred purpose because it is the highest expression of your soul. When you act on it despite fears and feelings of not being good enough, you are empowering yourself to grow and be the purpose you’re designed to be.

What is the one thing that you are so enthusiastic about? The one thing that makes you excited, happy, and dream of doing it for the rest of your life? Your answer to these questions says a lot about your passion. Your passion is your soul’s desire and the compass to the unique purpose you have to share with the world.

I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, but it took me many years before I found the confidence to pursue it because of fears and insecurities. Being authentic isn’t only about knowing who you are but living out the life you are called to be.

To know what you’re passionate about is one thing, and to act on it is another. The work that you put into it will strengthen your sense of self and purpose and make you familiar with what it feels like to be aligned with your soul’s desire. Action will show you what you want and don’t want, so you can separate those that aren’t part of what makes you authentic. Engaging with things that make your soul happy creates room for growth and evolution, a process necessary to get to know yourself more and soul-deep.

4. Stop asking for love by pleasing others

The biggest block that prevents us from becoming the truest version of ourselves is pleasing others. We please others because we are afraid of being judged, so we trade off being true to hide, even escape. When we please others, we create an artificial version of love that takes us away from what it truly is. We become foreign to the love the soul knows and are unable to love ourselves rightfully. Finding your true self is an invitation to love yourself completely so that you don’t have to beg from others. By not pleasing others, you allow love to come bigger and stronger until you find wearing a mask unnecessary, just to get the love you desire.

It didn’t come fast and easy for me. One of the things that helped me was to say “no” when saying yes wouldn’t really help others, but only to take advantage of me. Letting go of feeling guilty when I disappoint others for standing for what I believe is best taught me not to mind what others would think of me. I learned that it’s better to stand for myself as long as I don’t intend harm, since pleasing others doesn’t always make them sincerely appreciate or love me.

You don’t need to work hard for love and appreciation because people who have eyes that see beauty and worth in everything will always give them freely. And those who don’t know love will always project judgment, no matter how much you work for their approval.

5. Believe that you are an energy of love

When our soul incarnates on earth as human beings, its connection with the Source is obstructed by worldly concerns, and we forget that we are a portion of this infinite sacred energy of love. Yes, we are God’s portion of sacred love and our soul knows this. That is why we want to love and be loved, because we long to re-experience our true nature as love.

Having the awareness that “you are Love” will change the way you see yourself, others, and the experiences you meet in life. It helps to identify yourself as a spiritual being having a human experience rather than the other way around. It is easier to find your true self from this perspective than when staying anchored to the imposed beliefs that your ego holds on to. To believe that you are an energy of love means to free yourself from the constraints of the world and to discover your unique destiny.

6. Talk to your inner voice frequently

Your true self speaks from within through your inner voice. Your inner voice is the first guide and companion to the uncertainties and loneliness you may encounter along the way. However, connecting with your inner voice is not easy in the beginning, and it needs constant conversations with yourself to get used to its presence and discern its message for you.

Your inner self has always known its true identity and purpose because it is never lost. Talking to your inner voice is a powerful practice to access important instructions from the soul. They may come in bits and pieces, like a puzzle, but they always show you where you should be. 

7. Be humble enough to accept that you’re broken and need healing

Healing is what we are here for on Earth. Every one of us, even if you didn’t have extremely painful or traumatic experiences, has wounds that need to heal to restore authenticity and equip us in fulfilling our mission. It takes humility and bravery to realize that you are broken and to accept that you need to shift from old to new to become the truest version of yourself. 

When the soul forgets its true nature because of the conditioning and limitations of the world, the way back to remember is to heal from within. You must be open and willing to embrace the uncomfortable process of facing painful pasts and the demons they brought into your life. Inner healing happens by going through the dark night of the soul, releasing emotional baggage, spiritual awakening and cracking the shell that restricts us from living the life we are called for. You must learn to endure every step and be humble to make the process bearable and meaningful.

8. Be courageous

“Courage is the first spiritual quality that you need to have.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Confronting your ugly pasts, pain, anger, and regrets, and loving your imperfections is a tormenting process of scraping the old skin to give way for the new. You need to be courageous in every step to get from one point to another to heal and grow, to transform into who you truly are. 

Be courageous and never give up on yourself. You can only discover who you are when you allow courage to guide and support you. You may have lots of fear, but remember that bravery is more powerful and that you can stop them from controlling your life.

Being authentic means to live in clarity and in alignment with your soul and to stay open to changes and growth at the same time. There are no shortcuts or easy routes to get there. It is rather a long and lonely quest that nobody can do for you but yourself.

The path to authenticity is about healing the wounded parts of your ego-self so it can open its door to reunite with your soul-self. Remember that the universe always offers help. You just have to open your eyes and spread your arms to receive it.

---

Do you like this post? If you want to get updates on topics like this, JOIN my E-Letters For The Soul newsletter, where I give a monthly update on new content, soulful letters, and life-nurturing tips and advice.