One of the novel’s protagonists — a young black woman in 1930s Philadelphia — becomes an emissary of the power of music as an instrument of self-discovery and self-possession, a living testament to song as the pulse-beat of the soul
— Maria Popova
Self-possession: “the state or feeling of being calm, confident, and in control of one’s feelings; composure.” — Dictionary
“What is self-possession in philosophy?
Self-possession is just that: not being possessed by someone else. It is achieved not through controlling ourselves, but through recognising how we unwittingly cede power to others, and then ceasing this ceding.” — link
Self-discovery: “
A “journey of self-discovery” refers to a travel, pilgrimage,[1] or series of events whereby a person attempts to determine how they feel, personally, about spiritual issues[2] or priorities,[3][4] rather than following the opinions of family, friends, neighborhood[5] or peer pressure. The topic of self-discovery has been associated with Zen.[6]
A related term is “finding oneself“. There are different stages of finding oneself. Cultures from around the world have developed an array of modalities in the journey to discover oneself. In modern times practitioners and scientists have come together to create a map that brings clarity to the process of self-discovery. This is referred to as the levels of consciousness.
A journey of self-discovery is a popular theme in literature. It is sometimes used to drive the plot of a novel, play or film” — Wikipedia