Knowing yourself is probably the hardest lesson of life.
This is not a new revelation.
The Delphic Oracle at the Temple of Apollo was built in 400BC (2400 years ago).
The oracle had the answers to all your questions.
At the entrance to the temple was inscribed, “Know thyself.”
In other words, if you wanted the answer to life’s mysteries, start with knowing about yourself.
So how do you “know thyself”?
- Read books. Plenty of people have lived before you, made mistakes, learnt lessons. Why learn stuff the hard way when you can rather read a book?
- Take risks. Unless you push the boundaries, you’ll never learn anything about yourself. Take risks, regularly, learn what you’re good at. More important, learn what you’re not good at.
- Have mentors, coaches, peers and friends that will hold a mirror up to you. If you surround yourself with toadies, don’t be surprised if no one points out the anchovy on your cheek.
The sooner you starting knowing thyself, the sooner you can focus on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses, the sooner you’ll find success.