Well, hello there. It's Morgan Harper-Nichols here. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I turn the lens on various topics and subjects in hopes to learn something new or see something in a new way. Today's episode is called Getting to Know Who You Truly Are and Why It Matters. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Morgan

Harper Nichols. It's time to get to know your unrehearsed self. Who are you when no one else is

around? Who are you when you're not having to worry about impressing or competing or performing?

It's time to get to know who you are in this space. It's time to get to know who you are beneath

the layers. To get to know who you are beneath the layers.

To get to know anyone, you need time.

And this matters even when it comes to getting to know yourself.

But if you don't have the time you wish you had any time at all, it's still a great start.

Spend time just being. Turn off the music, turn off the television,

notice how your heart beats when it's just you. Pay attention to the spaces where you feel

just a little more relaxed than you did earlier in the day. You may not be able to spend indefinite time

here, but the time you spend away from everything else is a way of getting to know yourself.

And here's why it's important to get to know yourself. Getting to know yourself is not an isolated, selfish

act. By getting to know what energizes you and what drains you, you will be able to make

clearer decisions about what you can and cannot say yes to. By identifying how much quiet time

and rest you need, you'll be able to be honest in your

communication with others about what you're willing to commit to. By learning to acknowledge and

process your emotions, you'll be able to have greater empathy for others as they're working through theirs.

Another reason why it's important to get to know yourself is because all day long, you have to perform.

You have to perform tasks and meet expectations.

You create routines and rhythms to do everything from answering emails to traveling

from one place to the next. These are all useful activities and the skill you've acquired along the

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