Have you ever thought back to a particular incident in your life, and it plays back in slow motion …. it flitters in your mind’s eye like an old movie, almost like a vintage movie … You watch yourself, without judgement, totally understanding why you are reacting the way you are, still learning from that moment and deciding how you will handle that situation differently in the future. Congratulations! You are more self-aware than most people.
Paying attention to how you feel, how you think, and why you act the way you do is not past time people enjoy. It often evokes feelings of anger ( How dare they!) or shame ( I should’t have done that, now everyone knows I am incompetent) and we walk around with unresolved emotional blockages.
If we cannot sit with our emotions without judgement how can we expect someone else to do the same? Society teaches us to rely only on our thoughts and emotions are usually pushed to the side. Unfortunately, we are unable to even recognise our thought patterns. Or that our thoughts affect the way we feel.
A simple starting point is simply asking yourself:
‘How do I feel?’ or ‘How do I feel about x?’ and then wait for the answers that come up for you. Sometimes its starts with words like angry…. but the longer you wait you realise its anger disguised as fear. Maybe you feel defensive because you are ashamed. Or jealous because you are afraid of lack.
‘What are my true thoughts when I am asked to work overt time again?’
What do I think about certain social issues? You may find that your first thoughts are echoed in someones voice, maybe your parents or what people at work may think.What do YOU really think though?
Being self aware is helpful because you are able to identify what situations drain you and what makes you happy. It also shows you what thoughts and feelings are worth reacting to and which ones to leave on the table.
Self awareness can dictate how you decorate your home, where you go on holiday and the next job you apply for. Being more self aware has helped people make more money!
- What skills do I have that I can convert into an income?
- What time of day am I most productive?
- What is a total deal-breaker in business / personal relationships?
- How do I react when I am angry/emotional?
- What motivates me? criticism or praise?
- What values do I want to instil in my family?
- What is more important to me, form or function?
- When am I being myself?
Self awareness is a skill that can be learned and fine tuned. The goal is not to have the best answer, but to get a deeper understanding of yourself, and why you do what you do.
For more discussions and questions to help you with self-awareness, tune in to the podcast here
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