Self-Awareness is a Spiritual Practice
In a recent Substack newsletter, we explored the growing Christian phenomenon of avoiding any classifications for oneself other than “Christian.” While faith plays a major role in our identity, disavowing any classifications that make us unique isn’t healthy or helpful.
In fact, it’s only in understanding our individuality—our strengths, weaknesses, and the impact of our pasts—that we can fully show up as healthy members of Christ’s body. In today’s blog, I’m offering a few ways to begin cultivating this self-awareness and attune to the ways God’s made us to uniquely show up in the world.
Explore your personality type.
I understand why many people hesitate to take personality tests because no one (myself included) likes to be put into a box. However, while there are countless personality assessments and typing systems available that do feel restrictive, the ones I’ve found to be the most helpful are the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and StrengthsFinder.
Each system offers different takeaways, but what I appreciate about these three is that they all offer a great understanding of one’s strengths and how to operate from them. Ultimately, the important thing to remember is to view any personality assessment as a helpful tool with insight to offer rather than an exhaustive description of who you are (and aren’t) as a person.
Consider how you don’t fit into stereotypes.
Both Christian culture and culture at large tend to have big opinions on the ways that different people should behave—such as that women should be submissive or men should be domineering. Most of the stereotypes perpetuated by Christians aren’t even based in scripture. (Jesus himself wasn’t domineering, after all.)
The critical thing to remember here is that God made us unique individuals, not cultural stereotypes. While you may fit into some broad societal classifications, considering how you differ from types—rather than doubling down on fitting into them—can help you identify your strengths as a unique individual.
Discover your attachment style.
Influenced by our specific upbringing, experiences, and trauma, we develop different attachment styles. Understanding how we bond with and relate to others—and how to grow healthier in that attachment—can only benefit our relationships and relational satisfaction. In addition to taking an attachment style assessment, I highly recommend reading the book Attached.
Go to therapy.
I’m a firm believer that we can never truly move forward until we face where we’ve been. Unpacking the past with a trained professional can give context to how our experiences have shaped us. In understanding the ways we’ve been formed through our experiences, and disrupting unhealthy patterns that have formed, we can then consciously choose health moving forward.
