Self-Awareness Creates the Ground Where Happiness Grows

There is an old Hindu legend which states that at one time all human beings were gods. However, they treated their divinity with such disrespect that Brahma, the chief god, decided their divinity should be taken away and hidden where humans would never find it. The question was, where to hide it? Should he bury it deep within the earth? Should he sink it to the deepest depths of the ocean? Or just place it on the highest mountain peak? Brahma thought for a long time. It seemed there was no place in land or sea that humanity could not eventually reach. Finally, he decided, “I will place their divinity within themselves, they will never look for it there.”

A lighthearted parable with a sting of truth. Most of us don’t feel like we’ve “found our purpose” and on most days, we’re not even sure where to look. Obscuring it even more is that we live in an era where the pursuit of self-awareness is constantly derailed. Today’s world bombards us with distractions designed to hijack our most precious resources: time and attention. Social media, in particular, lures us in with fleeting flashes of sound and image, pulling us into an endless scroll. Hopefully, we eventually snap out of it and ask ourselves, why am I wasting my time on this?

Let’s be honest, marketing firms, public relations teams, and just about every digital platform out there are all vying for the same thing: your time and attention. And they’re good at it. If you are like me, you look at the message indicating the amount of time you spent on social media. And like me, you are shocked to learn how hypnotized you were by the spell you had been under. How did these “brief” forays into diversion accumulate so much of my valuable time?

My point is that constant outside noise drowns out the quiet voice within. When we seek validation through likes and comparisons, we turn our focus outward rather than inward, which numbs the discomfort that comes with self-reflection but delays the essential work of self-awareness. We mistake the digital persona we’ve created with our true identity. My hope is to steer you toward deeper, more fulfilling experiences, rather than those that pull you into compulsions that quietly erode your well-being. The more we recognize the control we’ve surrendered to outside forces, the sooner we can reclaim the authorship of our own lives.

The first step toward reclaiming ourselves is admitting that we can become addicted with these outside forces. Like all forms of addiction, the truth is rarely easy, or comfortable, to face. But once we recognize the ways we’ve surrendered our agency, we can begin searching for a remedy.

The Most Powerful Antidote
Even if turning away from your inner self isn’t born of social media, the remedy remains the same: a gentle return to self-awareness and the courage to take responsibility for becoming a better version of yourself each day. So, like the start of any meaningful journey, let’s begin by asking a few honest questions.

• Can you easily identify your talents and skills?
• What interests or hobbies do you have that bring you a sense of happiness and purpose?
• What holds the most value for you in your life?
• If you had to divide your daily activities into a pie chart, what part would be the largest?
• Would that largest part be the most important to you?

The answers to these questions may stir a wide range of emotions. If you're feeling deeply unhappy, confused, resentful, or bitter about where you are in life, your answers might feel distant or unclear. But I can assure you, they are there waiting to be discovered. You can begin the process with a single, powerful step: self-reflection. Through it, your true self begins to unfold, not as something newly created, but as something sacred that has been there all along, waiting patiently to be seen and embraced.

Let me pose a better question: What worth do you have already? All too often, our faults, failings, and sins cloud our vision, making it difficult to recognize our inherent worth. Yet unlike the Brahman’s hidden divinity, concealed beneath illusion, we are invited to seek out the true treasure of our identity. When we make it a priority to uncover the deeper truth of who we are (and embrace our inherent self-worth), we set ourselves on a path of transformation.

That journey begins with a profound acceptance: that we are imago Dei, or made in the image and likeness of God. It is from this divine origin that our self-worth flows, and from this truth that healing and growth can take root. To embrace this is not arrogance, it is alignment and the starting point of becoming whole. In the book of Psalms, 82:6 it is written “you are gods,” a passage Jesus quoted in John 10:34. Not many would ever believe that Jesus would call us “gods”, yet in His words, He did exactly that. Does that strike you as inconceivable? Well, if as a Christian you believe He was willing to offer His life for you, would that not also raise your soul’s level of worth?

As long as we carry a distorted self-image, we will keep chasing empty remedies for the heavy burden of shame and guilt. No outward solution can mend what’s fractured within. True healing begins only when we have the courage to turn inward and face the very parts of ourselves we’ve long avoided. My goal is to walk with you into that sacred interior space, gently guiding you toward the wholeness that is waiting for you.

In my next post, we’ll explore why we resist this inward journey, and how fear becomes a barrier in our journey. But once we move through that fear, what we discover is a treasure far richer than we could have ever imagined.

In the meantime, try following these steps to begin cultivating greater self-awareness.

5 Steps to Gaining Deeper Self-Awareness

Step 1: Open with Prayer
Recite this prayer for self-awareness to invite clarity, courage, and connection to your inner truth.

Dear Lord,
Guide me inward with courage and grace.
Help me see beyond the noise of the world,
To hear the quiet truth of who I am.
Unveil the patterns I’ve hidden from,
The wounds I’ve ignored,
The masks I’ve worn for acceptance.
Let me meet myself—not with judgment, but with compassion.
Grant me the wisdom to pause,
The humility to reflect,
And the strength to face all that I discover.
May self-awareness awaken my spirit
And lead me gently toward the life I was meant to live.

Step 2: Monitor Your Digital Habits
Track how much time you spend on social media and other digital distractions. Set a daily goal to gradually reduce that time and reclaim your attention.

Step 3: Recognize Your Worth
Make a list of the qualities, actions, and traits that make you valuable to the people around you.

Step 4: Go Deeper with Honest Reflection
Everyday revisit the “honest questions” above. Sit with your answers and allow yourself to go deeper, layer by layer.

Step 5: Notice Your Joy
Pay close attention to the part of your day that brings the most peace or pleasure. Ask yourself why and what that reveals about your true self.

Explore More:

• Fully Human, Fully Alive by John Powell S.J.
• Living, Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia
• Out of Darkness into the Light by Gerald G. Jampolsky
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
• Awareness by Anthony De Mello