And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. – Friedrich Nietzsche

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is critical. You need to know your faults to remove them. This requires honest self-reflection, including asking difficult questions.

Who was I?

Who do my parents say I am?

Who do my friends say I am?

Who do my enemies say I am?

Who am I now?

Who did I want to be?

Who will I become?

Knowing yourself is imperative. If you do not know where you have come from, where you are currently, and where you want to go you are wasting your time.

So many people avoid knowing who they really are, what they are intended to be, and how they fit with nature.

The more you know about yourself, the further you go in your spiritual-craft and that is where you become abundantly successful at sharing your light.

Self-assessment of your character is an essential to your spiritual journey. It is not amateur self-analysis. It is more than knowing personal facts, likes and dislikes.

It means being responsible, accountable and being able to live with yourself. It is who you are when no one else is around. It is who are you really, not who do you pretend to be in front of people.

The virtue of knowing yourself helps you know if you are growing or not.  Practice self-reflection at the end of each day and make account of your strengths and weaknesses.

How was your relationship with people?

Did you act ethically?

Did you do your best?

It is important to admit imperfection and weaknesses. Self-lies prevents growth. Human beings have a nearly limitless capacity for self-deception.

Self knowledge is the essence of a spiritual life.

To study the Buddha Way is to study the Self.

To study the Self is to forget the Self.

To forget the Self is to be actualized by myriad things … your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away.

No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.

Dōgenzenji