The Essence of Who We Are – ElPropósito3 min de lectura

How to discover, nurture and live by what defines us

Image by 1195798 from Pixabay

For years I was a prisoner of my own thoughts about the past and the future, always worried about fitting in. All it did was drain energy I could have given to my family, my projects and my friends. Today I want to share the tool that got me out of that spin: becoming aware of my essence, of what specifically makes me the person I want to be.

Our essence is what defines us, inside and out. The Royal Spanish Academy describes it as "the set of permanent and unchanging characteristics that determine a being or thing, without which it would not be what it is." In the effort to fit in, we often lose that essence bit by bit until we become whatever others think or say we are. Yet any pressure to act against what makes us happy or at peace can be faced and overcome when we discover, nurture and work in step with our talents, values, vision and passions.

One place our essence shows up is in how we make decisions. The way we decide reveals whether we live, or will live, in line with what makes us better people (because it brings peace, calm and happiness) or against it (because it brings anxiety, stress or worry). So it’s essential to know how to choose what lets us express the best of ourselves every day, and just as essential to reflect on, and learn from, any decision that pulled us the other way.

The good news is that we already have every resource we need to make decisions that let us live our essence. Our values are one, along with our habits and everything that’s non-negotiable: family, time together, exercise, learning, spirituality, ethics. Questions are another great inner resource, as long as they challenge us and push us past our comfort zone. Even when they sound broad or vague at first, just asking them sets off inner mechanisms we’ve probably never noticed. For example: What defines me? What would my life look like if I lived by what defines me? When have I felt truly fulfilled? What made me feel that way?

Writing about essence brings to mind something highly concentrated that lives somewhere inside us. Deep down, we know those unique traits that shape our nature are there. The key is to become aware of them, trust that living in tune with them will bring everything we long for and, step by step, start steering every decision in that direction.

Warm regards, happy Monday and all my best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. What I watched and read this week:

• Book: Rosebud. A novel that had me hooked from start to finish. It tells the story of a real kidnapping, and you can’t tell where fiction ends and history begins. I had to dig deeper and, as always, it led me to more books.
• Video: Unafraid of your own life. From the great Mario Alonso Puig, well worth your time and deeply inspiring. What I love most about his talks is how simply he explains the way mental health and leadership feed each other.
• Video: Are you a giver or a taker? One of the best TED Talks I’ve seen, on the big difference between a giver and an opportunist.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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