Self Discovery Journal: 200 Questions to Find Who You Are and What You Want in All Areas of Life

by Gerald Confienza

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

- Plato

What would happen if you had a child and left him or her unattended without care or attention for a day? How about a couple of weeks? Even worse, how about several months or years?

I know, it’s almost too cruel to think about.

This book is written to bring awareness to the child we’ve left unattended for far too long- the one that lives inside of every one of us.

As kids, we’re in full connection with this child. We run, we play, we chase after things that we enjoy and love. We may not realize it, but we’re deeply connected to who we are and what we want. We need not label ourselves to know who we are, or question why it is we want things; our present-moment living grants us a tacit answer to these questions. I would even venture to say that this is the main reason why childhood is so blissful for all of us.

As we grow older, however, we are introduced to words; and words have narrow meanings. Time and time again we’ve been labeled by our peers and parents through the use of these words. It’s no wonder we lose most of our spontaneity as we mature. We’ve been identified by words or labels for so long that we act as if we’re programmed to follow them. In short, we lose sight of who we really are and what we really want. The recent onslaughts of existential crisis people across different age groups face only serve to prove this point.

This book serves as an invitation to a journey of self-discovery. My aim is that, like me, my readers will be able to:

Disassociate from labels others have placed on them that are hindering their journey of self-exploration.
Stop reliving negative karmic cycles and disassociate from past experiences.
Learn about their personal VITALS and preferences in the human hierarchy of needs.
Find who they are and what they want in every area of their lives through 200 carefully designed questions. 
Finally, reconnect with themselves and strengthen their sense of self.

Welcome to Self Discovery Journal.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Psychology, Writing

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2018

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written to bring awareness to the child we’ve left unattended for far too long- the one that lives inside of every one of us.

As kids, we’re in full connection with this child. We run, we play, we chase after things that we enjoy and love. We may not realize it, but we’re deeply connected to who we are and what we want. We need not label ourselves to know who we are, or question why it is we want things; our present-moment living grants us a tacit answer to these questions. I would even venture to say that this is the main reason why childhood is so blissful for all of us.

As we grow older, however, we are introduced to words; and words have narrow meanings. Time and time again we’ve been labeled by our peers and parents through the use of these words. It’s no wonder we lose most of our spontaneity as we mature. We’ve been identified by words or labels for so long that we act as if we’re programmed to follow them. In short, we lose sight of who we really are and what we really want. The recent onslaughts of existential crisis people across different age groups face only serve to prove this point.

Yep.. this is a beautiful book, a must read. I did cry when I self analysed myself and when my nostalgic memories of childhood flashed forth. I felt proud of the scars that I got from people at different phases of my life and each scar showed me that I endured the pain, trauma and emerged more stronger in my personality. Loved all the 200 questions especially the following:-

Question #16 - How do I define happiness in my life? What is preventing me from being happy with my life? How would I take charge of my life so that I can change it for the better to ensure happiness and joy for me and for those whom I love and care for?

Question # 23. How do I forgive myself for all my past mistakes?

Question # 4 ( in 2nd section) Have I earned sufficient wealth or should I make more to lead a happy, contented life? Will I be happy and contented if I make more money ?

Question # 2 ( third section) What are the limits I am willing to go in oder to do things that will keep my family happy? What are the sacrifices I am willing to make for them?

Question #9 ( third section) What are the saddest family times I can recall? Can I feel that anguish even now?

Question #1 ( Personal Space Section) How do I define my personal space? Who is allowed inside this space and who is not allowed in this space?

Question #10 ( Personal Space Section) Do I dream of building a home in a faraway, remote location with very little ( just the basic) access to other people in the world?

Question #9 ( Contributions/Spirituality section) What is more important to me, to do the right things or do things in the right manner?

Question #12 ( Contributions/Spirituality section) Do I follow faith blindly or do I look for scientific answers to my questions before I follow any spiritual path?

Question # 15 ( Contributions/Spirituality section) Where do I get my mental strength from?

Question # 17 ( Contributions/Spirituality section) What are the questions about death that I would like answers for?

Question # 21 ( Contributions/Spirituality section) What are the thoughts that come up in my mind when I see far more fortunate people seeming to have a fun time in their lives while I struggle to work hard and make ends meet?

Question #23 ( Contributions/Spirituality section) Why do I feel attracted to someone despite knowing that he or she is outside of my reach

If any one of the above question intrigues you, read this book for sure.

:-)

[Rosemary Burton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope just no

Worthless reads like an inexperienced child recording a period of confrontational questions for themselves ...then thought this might sell as a "book" . Dismal attempt at inspiring introspection.

[Angelica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs editing

Picked up the book from Amazon unlimited for ideas to present for student journals. Decent writing prompts, but poor editing throughout. Skipped words, substitutions of "your" for "you," and similarly glaring typos made this difficult to read with any seriousness.

[Ashley Salisbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

Make no mistake, this is 100% a journal and not a book for self-development reading. This book contains a multitude of questions/writing prompts for you to dig into for your own self-discovery.

I want to make note that I did not personally sit and write out my answers to any of these questions. I read through the list to see if there were any questions that perhaps I had missed in my extensive list of self-development research, reading, and writing. The answer is no. The questions are a solid beginners base of writing prompts to focus on the inner life. If you were reading this list, like me, with the intention of finding something new, you will be disappointed.

Several points of note for the kindle edition that I read: 1) The copy-editing is horrendous. There are repeated grammatical and punctuation mistakes, even in the first 15 pages. Total turn off, I paid less attention to the content by being distracted by the errors. Thankfully, I only checked this book out through Kindle Unlimited and did not actually spend $2.99. 2) No one says "What're." You take out a space and an 'A' from "What are"and replace it with an apostrophe? No. 3) A better way to have formatted the kindle edition: instead of placing one writing prompt per page, like in a typical journal, having just listed the questions per section would have made more sense. I understand that with such a change in formatting, the book then becomes a short, more blog-post like undertaking. 4) Speaking of blog posts, the 6 sources listed are all websites. Three of the 6 literally have 'blog' in the url. 5) I did add one book to my TBR, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle upon the recommendation of the author. This was not the first time I had heard of Tolle or his works, just the first time I made a point of adding it to my TBR.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it. I can let grammar, spelling, and mixed tense and voice slide but honestly this could have benefited from far more rigorous editing. Beyond that, the assumptions about what makes a life and how the world are and should be that underpin these 200 questions sat really uncomfortably with me. After being caught ten questions into a quagmire of dull wealth and money questions with over yet a dozen more still ahead I realized this wasn't the book for me. It felt less like self-discovery and more like interrogation on how one is living up to the author's particular brand of life standards. I felt like the horse being led to the water who decided it's better not to drink.

[Mmj145 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quickly scanned the book and it designed for those who can go on a self exploration journey through a series of questions to ask yourself and try to answer. Probably great for people who can do that type. I am just beginning my self exploration journey and I was looking more for guidance on where to start and how to stop feeling so lost. The questions do seem thought provoking and will lead you down some great areas to personally explore in your thought work. I am not at that head space yet.

[Kerissa Savea · Rating 5 out of 5]

No BS, I love that

I appreciate how this book traverses its points- not just from one stodgy viewpoint but in a way that tells you the author is likely a well-rounded soul with an open-mind. That's my kind of conversation :)

[Sonya Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading as a refresher again

Had thought provoking chapters. that is why it's worth me re reading. I'm always looking for personal growth. The 200 questions will be for my journaling.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

great information, looking forward to answering these questions

Great books, very small but a lot of great information within the pages, I can’t wait to work through these questions and find out more about who and what I am, thank you

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uninspired

This books reads like a compilation of the sorts of quizzes that used to float around LiveJournal, without adding anything substantive.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book

I found this book to be thoughtfully wrote and inspiration

I would recommended this book to anyone who is in need

Of thoughtful thankfully thought

[Kristan Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing over the top. I liked the intro. I’m sure you could find the questions online but it’s nice to have them together. They did really help me think about who I am more. Which I liked.

[Candice Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self help

This a good book to help people. They should have a secondary journal ready when using it so they can access the questions more reasonably.

[Alice Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah it doesn't really have questions.

[Tomasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

I gave it 5 stars because of the great questions at the end
I an so glad to have read it

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise but No Shortage of Knowledge!

This book is small but mighty! I loved the knowledge and inspiration found among the pages but it was a speedy and engaging read. 😊

[Tundra Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening

Made you look back on your life and see where you were and where you want to go very helpful information

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking questions

This book had a lot of thought provoking questions about life, spirituality, work, family. Helps you to dig a little deeper into yourself.

[Luana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to take a little inward journey.

[Bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

The book is good. It actually makes you reflect on major perspectives of your life . A good companion if you are searching for meaning in books