Rediscovering Me: The Journey Back to Myself

Somewhere between being a wife, a mom, and the countless hats we wear daily, I realized I had lost myself. Not completely—but enough to notice. Enough to feel like the person staring back at me in the mirror was a stranger wearing my smile.

The truth is, my self-identity didn’t vanish overnight. It faded gradually, tucked away behind the roles I take on: partner, parent, boss, friend. And while each of those roles is meaningful, they can sometimes drown out the most important person—ME or you.

So, what happens when you decide to rediscover yourself? You dive in, not knowing what you’ll find, but knowing it’s worth it.

The Wake-Up Call

For me, the realization came quietly. I was scrolling through photos(I know, shocker, I have photos) reminiscing about my younger self, and I thought, “Where did she go? The woman who danced barefoot to her favorite songs, who dreamed without limits, who lived without a filter?”

Cue the soundtrack in my head: “I wanna get back to me, oh baby, where I belong.” — Miley Cyrus, “Used to Be Young” because we can all relate!

And that’s when it hit me: she’s still here. She’s just been waiting for me to look for her again.

Who Am I Without the Labels?

One of the hardest questions to ask yourself is, “Who am I, really?” Not the roles you play, not the titles you hold, but the essence of who you are.

I started small:

• What lights me up?

• What makes me laugh until my stomach hurts?

• When do I feel most alive?

It’s like on SHREK (one of my favorite movies) when SHREK and the donkey were walking and the donkey was talking about how onions have layers…. This, is EXACTLY that! It’s peeling back layers of an onion, except instead of tears (okay, maybe a few tears), you find little gems of joy. For me, it was rediscovering my love for music, my passion for creating, and the simple pleasure of sitting with a book and some cherry coke—no interruptions.

As Oscar Wilde said, “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” And let me tell you, that romance is worth rekindling. None can love you, like you!

Breaking Free from Expectations

A big part of rediscovering yourself is letting go of the expectations you’ve been carrying. The world will tell you who to be, how to act, and what success looks like. But here’s the truth: those expectations are someone else’s version of life, not yours.

As Bon Jovi so perfectly put it: “It’s my life / It’s now or never.”

I realized I had spent so much time trying to meet other people’s standards that I forgot to create my own. Now, I’m rewriting my story, one chapter at a time. It feels so weird but in a good way to be refocusing on myself.

The Joy of Small Steps

Rediscovery isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about the little things that remind you who you are.

• Listening to that album you loved in your 20s.

• Saying no to things that drain you(and really meaning it)

• Picking up a hobby you dropped years ago

For me, it was singing loudly in the car again, writing songs, and letting myself dream unapologetically.

It’s not about becoming someone new; it’s about reconnecting with the person you’ve always been, because who you are is perfectly you!

The Beauty of Becoming

The journey of self-discovery is ongoing. There’s no finish line, no “aha” moment where everything suddenly makes sense. But there is beauty in the process. I will quote myself here, “Trust the process!”- Maria Hayes

As Brené Brown said, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” If you aren’t familiar with Brenè Brown she has one of the top five most watch Ted Talks on “The Power of Vulnerability”. Talk about powerful.

Every step you take toward rediscovering yourself is a step toward freedom—freedom to be authentically, unapologetically you.

Final Thoughts

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I need to find myself again,” let this be your sign to start. You don’t have to know exactly where to begin. Just start somewhere.

Play your favorite song.

Write down your wildest dream.

Take a walk and listen to the voice inside that’s been whispering, “Come back to me.”

Because as Miley reminds us, “You say I used to be wild; I say I used to be young.” And guess what? That wild, young spirit is still within you, waiting to come alive.

So go ahead—rediscover yourself. It’s the most beautiful journey you’ll ever take.

And as always, I believe in you!