Quotes About Self-discovery

We mean that man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world – and defines himself afterwards.

If you're lonely when you're alone, you're in bad company.

Sometimes we must undergo hardships, breakups, and narcissistic wounds, which shatter the flattering image that we had of ourselves, in order to discover two truths: that we are not who we thought we were; and that the loss of a cherished pleasure is not necessarily the loss of true happiness and well-being. (109)

There are plenty of people holding flashlights casting shadows, offering directions. Perhaps it's best if you light your own way.

My flag is raised high today. For others to see, sure. But more so to find which way my wind is blowing. Almost time to chart a course.

Daily I learn — sometimes painfully, other times with glee — that mine is a path never meant to be paved.

Think for yourself and figure out what's true. That's it. Ask yourself what's true until you know.

I want to stop not knowing who and what and where I am. I want to stop being confused and unclear. I want to stop pretending lies are true and that I understand things when I don't. I want to stop playing make-believe and find out what's real.

Be careful what you wish for, not because you'll get it but because you'll be turned into the thing that can get it. It's not a process where you just ask for something and it magically appears, it's a process that breaks you down and rebuilds you into the right tool for the job.

What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare?

Spiritual Autolysis—trying to write something true and keeping at it until you do—is the best possible way of identifying and eradicating our falseness because the process of writing minimizes the weaknesses and maximizes the strengths of the intellect. Nothing false can survive illumination by a steady and focused mind.

An objective observer might look at the vast majority of spiritual seekers today and classify them as spiritually self-lobotomized. They set out to find life and discover truth, and wind up sitting in a dark room repeating a meaningless syllable, eyes closed, brain silenced, convinced that they're actually making a great journey.

The true defining situation for a person is what they do when they are alone and don't have to do anything else. What do they do? Do they do frivolous things? That's when you define what you are.

When all of this music sounds like you know what you want to say, then it will have been of all worth, ever. You will be something complete unto yourself, present and unique.

Let life kick you off your pedestal time and time again, until you lose all interest in being on pedestals.

There are deeper reasons to travel—itches and tickles on the underbelly of the unconscious mind. We go where we need to go, and then try to figure out what we're doing there.

You know who I am? Sure, Pony typed. You're the Queen of the Universe. Flattering, April responded. Wanna fill me in on you? They call me Pony. You're not bad... What do you want to know? … Who's the bad guy? You? Or me?

it was the nature of being a person, and everything they did—every single thing, in school or at home, with others or alone, conscious or unconscious, meaningful or nonsensical, every single thing—was geared toward discovering what exactly it meant to be a person. The meaning would always elude them, because elusiveness was in fact its very heart.

Back in those days it was just me swimming around in the dark, doing back flips and taking naps whenever I want.

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." —Ralph Waldo Emerson (attrib.)

I guess I had always sort of fantasized that a guy would see me and get past the ponytail and the glasses and the giant sweatshirt to discover how insanely awesome I am, then come and whisk me off into that magical teenager fairytale where everyone else gets to prance around.

learning how to disappear is the best way I've found to make my true self visible to myself and others.

In the end, learning how to write songs is, in large part, about teaching yourself to fail and being OK with it. But it's also about searching for, finding, and sharing some truth.

Everyone always tells you that you become more alone as you get older. People write about it in books. They shout it out on street corners. They mumble it in their sleep. But it's always a shock when it happens to you.}