In order to know ourselves better we need to have more conversations with ourselves. We need to talk to ourselves and we need to listen to ourselves. Our culture tells us what we should be like, how we should think, how we should feel and what we should buy. In knowing ourselves better we are able to distinguish what is inside from what is outside of us. To change our outer world we must first change our inner world. Our outer life comes to reflect our inner state of being.

By being more self-aware we will have more self-mastery, to be solid and grounded on the inside no matter what is happening in the outer world. Being self-aware helps keep us grounded, and being grounded helps us stay self-aware. The more grounded we are the better we will be able to go with the flow of life.

Stop and pay attention to feelings. This is a large part of self-awareness. It is our denial of our subconscious emotions that is our biggest obstacle to accessing them. This is a part of our mind that we are not used to using.

As we learn more about and embrace ourselves, we are also learning to embrace the divine; then we are better able to embrace change in life with both courage and grace.

As Socrates said 2,500 years ago, and it still rings true today: "The unexamined life is not worth living."