Is there anything more satisfying than a good quote that really hits home and relates? Perhaps, but I can’t think of anything right now.

Seriously, though, whether self discovery quotes or just clever quotes in general, a well worded one has the power to inspire and drive a point home in one fell swoop.

I love a good quote. It’s right up there with coffee, comfy window seats designed for reading, and my grandma’s chocolate cake. It’s like poetry and wisdom all intertwined and perfectly married.

Sometimes I see a good quote and I just think, “these words were meant to be together.”

I’ve done quote roundups in the past and they were widely successful so I know you all feel the same way.

Which is why I’ve decided to pull together this list of Self Discovery quotes – I hope they inspire you to be your authentic self and find your path.

The journey isn’t always an easy one but it is so worth it, for reasons I think the quotes themselves do fine justice in explaining…

Self Discovery Quotes About Finding Yourself

1) At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. – Lao Tzu

Self discovery is simply about the courage to face that center of your being. When you can do this, then you will have braved the greatest fear of them all. For generally speaking, it isn’t a fear of what is there but a fear of what we will have to do once we face it. Following your heart follows facing your truth and sometimes it’s hard to decipher which requires more courage.

2) Once you have accepted your flaws no one can use them against you.

I think part of self discovery is becoming aware of and accepting yourself for who you are. It’s such an important and powerful part of the process because once you accept yourself, no one else needs to – and that is all the power over your life that you need to live fully.

3) Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. -C.G. Jung

I think of self sabotage when I read this quote. The exact opposite of self awareness. When you are unaware of who you are and what you want in life, the unwritten scripts of your mind will guide you through life – usually into dark places.

4) The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren kierkegaard

I have spent countless hours trying to be like other people – in high school, college, as a military wife – none of it brought the results I had hoped it would. It was not until I decided to just simply discover who I was and be that person that I found my path to happiness.

5) I think self discovery is the greatest achievement in life, because once you discover yourself and accept what you are, then you can fulfill your true potential and be happy – Marco Pierre White

Perhaps I should have made this quote the commentary on the one above. Really though, everyone is happier when they authentically live their own lives and leave everyone else to live theirs.

6) You must listen to your heart and follow it or it will find a million ways to remind you that there is something missing.

There’s a part of me that deeply believes we all know who we are in our core. We all want to get back to that person. I once heard Mel Robbins say, “you wouldn’t miss it if you didn’t know what it felt like.”

7) When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are invincible. -Tina Lifford

If I didn’t find so many other good self discovery quotes, I would have just stopped with this one. It embodies everything self discovery and awareness does for you. There’s a special kind of confidence in the steps of a person who knows who they are. It’s gentle but strong, sure, and unencumbered by other people’s confidence or ego.

8) Too many people undervalue what they are and overvalue what they’re not. -Malcolm Forbes Jr.

This self discovery quote may not necessarily seem like one upon first glance. However, one of my favorite ways of thinking these days is to rest in the fact that when you know who you are, you can have grace for who you are not.

9) I think somehow we learn who we really are and then we live with that decision. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Even once we know who we are and what we want in life, we still have to choose to show up authentically. Life already convinced you at least once that it was safer to hide than to be yourself. The problem is, once we hide our true selves, we often lose the map back.

10) Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery. -Matthew Arnold

Again with the link between happiness (or a lack of misery) and self discovery. When you know who you are and what you want in your life – your self knowledge becomes a powerful force that enables you to create the life you’ve only dreamed about before.

Last Thoughts

I hope these self discovery quotes about finding yourself have been the inspiration you needed! Whether you’re reading them for a cozy and fun read or for the courage to continue your self discovery journey – both are well served.

I occasionally add more quotes to this list (because once you start me on the quotes, there just is no stopping me) so be sure to save it so you can check back.
Have a quote you think would be perfect for the post? Tell me what it is in the comment box below!

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Read 57 Self Discovery Journal Prompts to help you discover who you are and what you want in life!