” Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. Self-Awareness is the key to self-mastery.”
Life has gotten increasingly robotic in recent years. The majority of our thoughts and actions are automated. We don’t have time to stop and think about our habits, routines, urges, or reactions since they carry us through our lives. This, too, isn’t always a negative thing. When we aren’t even aware of our own habits, behaviors, desires, or reactions, we no longer have control over them; we are controlled by them.
What is self-awareness?
A self-aware person consciously knows and understands his own character, feelings, motives, and desires. There is an increased awareness of what he thinks, what he feels, how he acts or reacts, and what he interprets. Increased awareness clears the mind of distracting thoughts, allowing us to view ourselves and life more clearly.
How does Self-Awareness Help us?
Self-awareness a major mechanism of self-control– The ability to monitor our emotions and thoughts from moment to moment is key to understanding ourselves better, being at peace with who we are and proactively managing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Self-awareness facilitates better decisions – Self-awareness guides you to make better choices, and better decisions in life as you are well aware of the consequences.
Self-Awareness is a tool of positive health– Self-aware people tend to act consciously and tend to be in good psychological health and to have a positive outlook on life and are more likely to be compassionate.
Self-awareness is the first step to self-improvement– Self -awareness brings you close to your real -self. Unfortunately, as human beings, we may never fully understand ourselves. But perhaps it is the journey of exploring, understanding, and becoming ourselves that makes life worth living.
Self-Awareness facilitates better personal and Professional Relationships– Having a clear understanding of your thought and behavior patterns helps you understand other people and see them with love and respect. This ability to empathize facilitates better personal and professional relationships. A self-aware person knows how to communicate when to communicate and what to communicate and this definitely improves the quality of a relationship.
Perform daily self-reflection for self-exploration
- What am I trying to achieve?
- What am I doing that is working?
- What am I doing that is slowing me down?
- What can I do to change?
- What will your legacy be?
- What will your life look like 20, 15, 10, and 5 years from now?
- What’s your North Star? What are you working to achieve over the long term?
In the end, we all want self-awareness. It is a life-long effort. Without it, one can never fully lead effectively. People who are self-aware really know themselves. They know who they are, what they want, and why they act as they do. This allows them to intentionally create the life that is best suited for them. Life becomes vastly different when you are the one who directs your mind, instead of letting the mind direct you.