It’s time to ask yourself questions, and learn to look for the answers. We have become entirely too detached from who we are as individuals. The longer we avoid going a bit deeper in our self reflection, the longer it will take for us to understand, and embrace our true purpose. So let’s begin to unpack and the baggage you probably don’t even realize you’re carrying with you. Let’s have a look at your obligations. If it helps, you can also look at “obligation” as loyalty.

Let’s Begin

Let’s begin this journey by understanding that your consideration of this idea of “obligations” isn’t to make you feel guilty for challenging them. No one will ever know what’s going through your mind while you do it. Don’t worry, you won’t lose yourself, either. So you can safely, and without repercussion, question your ideas on obligation and loyalty.

Now that you know that nothing has to come of this reflection, unless you decide that there are ways to improve from it, task yourself to look for, and look at, the ideas and perceptions which you feel obligated to hold on to due to some loyalty to your family, your history, your politics, your culture, your neighborhood, your community…your trauma, and more. Challenge yourself to set aside this identity. Remember, there may be other identities you need to address, one at a time. So ask yourself what versions of you have been cultivated through the filters of the information you’ve experienced, witnessed, and/or been told. Be tough on yourself, as you consider all sources of bias you’ve experienced in order to get into your true, unbiased, self.

Obligation & Obligatory Follow Up Questions

The best part is, there is no obligation in doing this exercise. It simply opens your mind up to exploring yourself. Now that you have explored your bias, some questions you may want ask yourself are:

• What are the biases you have applied to support your obligations and loyalty?
• Does your life experience drive your attitudes and decisions?
• Are you creating your persona based on some kind of obligation or loyalty to the people you care about?
• How has that loyalty, that obligation, influenced your productivity, your ability to thrive in the manner which you truly want to experience?
• Has obligation encouraged or detracted from your happiness, your purpose, etc?
• What are some opinions that are truly you?

Permit yourself to answer truthfully. Remember, no one is listening.