I also wish to contribute to the restoration of people who feel inferior to others; those who, despite all their efforts, fail to integrate into society due to a blockage or a potential incapacity; people who, at some point, feel like they are losing control of their own lives.

The sad reality is that, usually, those going through these difficulties don’t even manage to put a name to them. As a result, these shortcomings become a real obstacle preventing them from reaching certain heights in life over the years.

If, while reading this book, you realize that you belong to this category of people, know that it is not fate. Above all, do not think you are “abnormal.” Rather, remember that in life, everyone has their own path, their own curve of growth.

We cannot all be at the same level or have the same degree of knowledge at the same time. We move from one stage to another depending on the seasons we go through.

If you are experiencing situations like these today, it is important for you to realize that this is not a handicap; there is nothing on this earth that is a problem without a possible solution.

One day, I was like you! Yes, I was. Perhaps my situation was even worse than yours, but today it is nothing more than an old memory because, thanks to the discovery of who I am, by the grace of GOD, I managed to solve this enigma. It made me better. I fully understand what you are going through. True, your case may seem different from mine, but still, I had my own shortcomings at one point in my life.

However, when I realized the deep sleep I was immersed in, I made a commitment to wake up and take my life back into my hands as soon as possible. Even now, I continue my quest toward new adventures, and with much serenity. After many attempts, I discovered that during all those moments when I was sinking, I truly did not know myself, and with that, I could not assert myself as a person. That was the root of my problem.

Indeed, it is very difficult to express what one does not know. This lack of self-knowledge kept me captive for a long time and even plunged me into a trauma that absorbed and heavily enslaved me. It really interfered with many areas of my life. For example, I often believed I couldn’t do this or that, that I couldn’t succeed in life, and even that I was not up to anything.

Confusion was part of my daily life, and it prevented me from concentrating or even seeing what I could actually do. In short, having a false idea of my identity led to a long period of lack of self-fulfillment in my life.

What you need to understand when you find yourself with a distorted identity is that it didn’t happen overnight or by itself. By investigating, you will realize there was a triggering factor, no matter how far back it goes. If you are Christian, depending on the relationship you have developed with the Holy Spirit, He can accompany and guide you so you can open your eyes to that event, that word, that act that was released in the past and that has been the source of your blockage.

Additionally, you can also ask questions around you: to your loved ones, elders, parents, grandparents, and sometimes even childhood friends. The fact is, that triggering factor is there somewhere, and as long as you haven’t uncovered it, it will continue its work inside you. It will keep you in mediocrity, ignorance, and everything that comes with it, preventing you from moving forward.

Always remember what God says you are before letting the world define you. Never let the idea of the Divine promise fade inside you. To rise again, it is absolutely essential to know yourself and, above all, to accept yourself as our Creator made us. Refuse from now on to define yourself according to human thoughts or opinions.

How to get to know yourself?

The day I truly became aware of my situation, I also made a commitment to change. However, I knew I couldn’t do it alone; I needed help. I wanted to be done with those negative feelings that spoke so loudly inside me and prevented me from engaging with the outside world. I can’t even tell you how sometimes I thought I was worthless, how I always had that voice inside me that discouraged me for a long time, making me believe I couldn’t do it, that I wouldn’t succeed. That’s how I started many activities but never completed them; this cycle repeated so many times in my entrepreneurial journey that I lost count.

When I made the radical decision to change my life, I also realized that I had developed gaps in several areas. I had been so locked in my comfort zone all those years, but now I wanted things to change.

The first thing I decided to do on this journey was to find out who I really was. For a long time, I listened to what people around me said I was. But the time had come for me to know myself by following the guide of my Creator.

In general, self-knowledge takes into account many factors, such as our values, principles, environment, needs, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, dominant intelligence type, and temperament.

I also recommend the book “It’s Time to Unlock My Full Potential” by Dr. Doriane, in which she explains all this in depth. Inside this book, she offers several exercises that really help us understand who we are meant to become through our potential. Furthermore, these exercises help us discover all these aspects that can allow us to experience daily self-assertion and self-esteem in our lives.

Knowing yourself allows you to easily determine what truly makes you happy or not, helping you make the right choices and avoid going around in circles in life, accumulating failures, losing your values, and above all, wasting time.

For example, I discovered that one should not launch into an activity without first having done proper studies—first on oneself, then on the activity itself—to see if the activity matches one’s personality before committing.

It is crucial for each of us to have a meeting with ourselves, to make peace with this wonderful person we will discover inside, who has been sleeping and waiting only to be awakened. Then, we must love that person and bring forward all the strengths we have, letting them come to the surface so we can be guided by this wonderful state of mind that will take us to the most extraordinary heights.

I had fluttered from one activity to another for many years. All my experiences were followed by failures, and at the time, I didn’t know this was due to the glaring lack of knowledge of my identity. Moreover, all this was accompanied by a total lack of self-confidence. The worst part was that I didn’t even know it. I was unaware of my own ignorance.

Strange, isn’t it? But it’s the truth! I had so many gaps, and I became aware of them when I decided to stand up and take my destiny into my own hands. Before having the revelation about everything I’m telling you, I faced so much ridicule, mockery, contempt, humiliation, and all kinds of situations that reminded me every time that I didn’t know how to do this or that in one or more specific areas.

Another goal of meeting yourself is to free yourself from the masks or labels that have been imposed on you and that you accepted to wear. Here, it is more than important to identify your mask or your protective helmet…

This text is an excerpt from the book “MY IDENTITY, MY STRENGTH” written by Natacha Koladja Momo.

We invite you to read the following article: “EMOTIONAL OR SOUL WOUNDS.”

SELF-ACCEPTANCE