I often talk to my students about their “true essence.” What I mean by this is that I want them to truly understand who they are for all their talents, skills, assets, foibles, and insecurities. That’s not easy to do. It takes courage to face our less attractive traits and admit them to ourselves. But once we’re able to do this, we start to get a clearer picture of ourselves.

LET’S PLAY A GAME

Here’s a quick game to help you get started. Come up with one word to describe yourself for each letter of the alphabet, A through Z. Are you alert, aware, agile, awesome?

Would you describe yourself as zany, zen-like, zealous? (Z words are not so easy to come up with!) This game is designed to make you think about yourself in a detailed way as you begin the process of getting to know yourself intimately. Understanding yourself and skimming over your daily life will help you find an essay topic that engages you.

If you’d like some help, sign up for my upcoming workshop here.