Mindfulness Practice

Finding

the

REAL You

If you’ve been setting goals, implementing strategies, and adjusting your actions—yet still find your successful life just out of reach—it’s not because you’re doing anything “wrong.” More often, the challenge lies in not fully recognizing or embracing who we truly are. Don't give up on that dream yet.

For many of us, our self-perception plays a powerful role in keeping us stuck—specifically, who we think we are, or who we believe we should be. When we identify with roles like mother, sister, wife, teacher, doctor, or student, we often unconsciously adopt the rules and expectations that come with them. These labels can limit our creativity and shape the way we speak, act, dress, and relate to others. But these titles are not the essence of who we are. In truth, even the thoughts we hold about ourselves are not our true identity. Who you are runs much deeper than any external definition.

Many of us spend our lives trying to become who we think we need to be in order to succeed.

We follow plans, set goals, and hope for the best. But when life doesn’t unfold the way we envisioned—or the way we were told it should—we often internalize that disappointment. We blame ourselves, criticize others, or both. And the harder we try, the more deeply we feel the ache of discontent. We sense something isn’t right, yet we keep repeating the same patterns—because it’s all we know. But, something has to shift. We must choose to break the cycle—before the cycle breaks us.

Real change isn’t easy.

It requires time, patience, and willingness. At first, it may feel overwhelming. Progress can seem slow. But when we become truly committed to exploring a new way of being—and when we open ourselves to support—transformation begins.

For me, that shift started with mindfulness meditation. At first, I didn’t fully understand what I was doing. I read books, watched TED Talks, joined a sangha, and engaged in conversations with other practitioners—and I kept practicing. Slowly, I began to develop a new relationship with my thoughts, even the uncomfortable ones I used to avoid. I learned that while I couldn’t stop my thoughts from arising, I could change the way I related to them. This awareness is especially important because, at the end of the day, the most important relationship we have is the one with ourselves. We are, after all, our significant other.

Stop engaging in negative self-talk and everything begins to shift.

Research shows that practicing mindfulness meditation for just ten minutes a day, over the course of eight weeks, can actually change the brain. The amygdala—our fight-or-flight center—shrinks, while the prefrontal cortex, responsible for concentration and decision-making, becomes stronger. Knowing that such a powerful change can begin with just ten minutes a day makes meditation practice far less daunting.

Through the practice of mindfulness meditation, you can slowly begin to unravel old patterns—those deeply ingrained, conditioned responses that developed in childhood. You will begin to see those thoughts for what they are: simply thoughts. When you no longer judged yourself for who you thin you are or who we think you're supposed to be, we created space for something new. You discovered more authentic choices and cultivated a more grounded way of being.

So, if science shows that meditating for just ten minutes a day can reshape how we think and feel—can you find that time for yourself? Can you create the space to step off the hamster wheel and begin living in alignment with your truest self?

I believe you can.