Are You Hiding and Seeking?

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Since I was a young girl, I have found Russian Matyoshka dolls to be fascinating. I even have a Santa Claus version of a Matyoshka doll that I display annually at home during the Christmas holidays.

The concept that the dolls promote – the idea that there is something more inside each of us that may not be so obvious at a surface level – has always resonated with me.

For example, over the years, I’ve often been attracted to stories about individuals who take journeys of self-discovery, self-appointed or otherwise. Many of my favorite books and movies feature protagonists and central characters who discover previously hidden truths about themselves.

Often, the protagonists discover positive character traits, such as courage and fortitude.  Sometimes, though, the protagonists uncover less attractive personal traits and truths. From my perspective, each instance of self-discovery is equally compelling.

How often do you take the time to look within to find aspects of yourself that may be hidden to the world?  Do you think that conducting a “strip search of the internal you” is warranted?  Or, would you prefer to leave those aspects of you that lie beneath the surface of your daily interactions with the world hidden?

There are those who prefer to turn their individual focus away from self and towards others on the path to self-discovery.  Mahatma Gandhi was one of those individuals and famously stated:

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

I do strive to serve others but, when it comes to discovering more about “what makes me tick,” I think turning my focus inward from time to time isn’t a bad thing.  And, like a child who is examining a Matyoshka doll for the first time, I am often surprised by what I learn when I seek to discover more about who I am.

Besides Gandi’s quote, I also appreciate Hermann Hesse’s quote from Demian below:

“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.”

How about you?  Are you playing a game of Hide-and-Seek with you?