Self-realization is a path one can take to fully begin to find peace in their mind, understand their place in the world, and genuinely become better to themselves and those around them. It is a journey many witches, spiritualists, and plain old existential people choose to embark on, as it opens up a world of possibilities that can only be understood by those experiencing it. Although it takes lots of reflection and work within oneself overtime, the outcomes can completely alter your life, your practice and how you view the world. But for most of us, we don’t have a free month in our schedule that we can devote completely to improving ourselves, as we all have jobs, classes, or even just hobbies that keep us busy as bees. Lucky for you, I’ve curated an easy-to-understand guide with the most three essential ideas, and some simple ways to help launch you into finding yourself, and your way in this confusing world. 

Now keep in mind, these concepts may seem at first a little far out or unnecessary, but whether or not we want to admit it, we are all deeply flawed human beings. We all have many, many layers and deserve to peel them back for once. So how does one reap these benefits, and what steps are necessary? 

How one can begin to do this, is discovering the three core ideas, but only on your own terms. The first idea is Consciousness of Self. This is the pursuit of fully understanding and accepting every bit of your mind, including those bits we all want so deeply to ignore. A good way to begin this process is with simple shadow work and self therapy. 

Now, what are these techniques, and how does one begin to use them? Shadow work mainly has to do with our shadow self: the part of our minds and personalities that we try to hide from ourselves, usually out of deep fear or shame. Shadow work, then, is the act of seeing this part of yourself, forcing yourself to confront it, then accepting all the emotions that come with it. You can actually practice shadow work anytime of the day when you truly have a bit of time to think and, occasionally, cry. This could include your ten minutes of morning coffee, shower, or whenever the eerie and uncomfortable feelings wash up. 

The second idea to begin striving for, is complete truthfulness to self. 

This can be achieved through ruthless self-analysis of your everyday actions and thoughts especially when destructive or toxic. You can analyze these thoughts productively by stopping your train of thought and  asking yourself honestly: Where does this come from? A place of insecurity, a need for power, a way to cope? Most importantly, hold yourself accountable and try to really understand the thought’s roots. We all hurt ourselves and others all the time, and it’s important to figure out why. Knowing the cause gives us an opportunity to see what we can work on, what we can let go of, and what we must grow out of.

The final (and most important) idea is promising to always continue one’s self growth. This comes with the responsibility to always hold yourself accountable, work through your shit, and accept reality for what it is. But along with that, it means to continue this exploration of self and the world, however you please. This can mean practicing other methods for self-improvement and maintaining awareness of your reality, and how to better it. Some of these methods include practicing  mindfulness, pondering all things existential, dis-attaching from self (through astral projection/intentional depersonalization), separating from technology for long periods of time, and coming to terms with the uncertainty of life on earth. 

You deserve to understand yourself the best you can, and grow into the best person you can be.