Blaise Pascal had a point: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” We spend much of our time running from ourselves, when we should be moving toward ourselves. 

Self-discovery is about becoming aware of who you truly are, rather than what culture has told you that you should be. It’s about no longer striving to be what you think others will admire.

Listening to others is important—we learn from their perspectives. But equally vital is spending time alone in peaceful surroundings. Peaceful surroundings don’t mean absolute silence—they mean absence of distractions and outside influences. If you’re always listening to others, you’ll merely become the sum of everyone else’s ideas.

Your deepest thoughts aren’t heard unless you make space for them. Without time to think, developing a personal philosophy becomes difficult. Without time to yourself, you won’t have anything to keep you grounded. You’ll fall into all sorts of traps and find it hard to resist negative influences.

You have to guard your quiet time and make use of it. This is sacred time. This is when you connect with your true self. This is when you’re reminded how to find peace in the storm. This is where you’ll find comfort and guidance.

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