Self awareness gives you the power to control your life. Bold statement, yes. But it is true. The more you know how your mind works the more power you have over how you handle situations, habits you do, and your outlook on life. Self awareness empowers you to create the life that you want to live, not the one that you have been telling yourself that you are living.
Ever since I became a mother it has truly opened my eyes on how I handle my emotions and especially how I handle my frustrations and words that I use. My self awareness has been heightened. Understanding how you handle life, and your own emotions is beyond powerful.
The inner stories we tell ourselves
“In our personal lives, if we do not develop our own self-awareness and become responsible for first creations, we empower other people and circumstances to shape our lives by default.” – Stephen Covey
This quote is so true. For many years I didn’t think that I was smart enough to accomplish certain life aspirations. In my interpersonal work over the last several years I found that this was a story that I was telling myself repeatedly. We all tell our inner selves’ different stories of who we are and more often than not they are negative ones like “I am not good enough”, “I don’t deserve to succeed”, or “No one will ever love me”. The source of these stories comes from your life conditioning. It is what you have seen, heard, or been told starting when you were a young child. There is research that shows yourself perception/self-worth is developed by the age of 5 – 7 and further solidifies in your teen years. This was shocking to me that by the age of 5 we have already developed what we believe our self-worth is!!
Our brains function from two parts your subconscious mind and your conscious mind. Your subconscious mind is the one who leads the show 95% of the time and the other 5% is lead by your conscious mind. Think of your subconscious mind like a tape player that just keeps playing the same tracks on repeat. These tracks are the stories that you are telling yourself over and over again without even being aware that you are doing it. Once you are aware of what stories you are telling yourself, you then have the power to rewrite the narrative. You can then create non self sabotaging tracks in your own interpersonal stories.
How can you discover your interpersonal stories
I use to be one that thought journaling was just for fun and reminded me of being a little girl in my room writing about a boy I had a crush on. When I started my interpersonal work journey part of that was to start to write in a journal. I am not going to lie to you starting off isn’t the easiest habit to get into. But once you do one of the great benefits is that you are able to read back a look at the way that you view situations and the voice that you are using to yourself.
How self awareness can empower you
Once you are aware of the whys behind what you do or don’t do this allows you the ability to restructure what isn’t working for you in your life. Your habits are driven by your subconscious mind. They are thought less actions that you do daily. Some are good for you and some aren’t so good for you. Being self aware of the true why behind your bad habits gives you the ability to truly make a change in breaking that habit. Self awareness is the key to any empowering change.
Additionally, self-awareness can improve our relationships with others. By understanding our own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, we can communicate more effectively and build stronger connections with others. For example, if you are aware of your tendency to become defensive in certain situations, you can work to manage your reactions and avoid damaging your relationships.
Tips for Cultivating Self-Awareness
- Reflect on your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors: Take time each day to reflect on your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Consider what triggered these reactions and how you could have responded differently.
- Keep a journal: Write down your thoughts and emotions each day. This can help you identify patterns and better understand your reactions to different situations.
- Seek feedback: Ask others for their opinions on your behavior and reactions. This can provide valuable insight into how others perceive you and help you understand areas where you need to improve.
- Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. This can help you become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in real-time.
- Take care of yourself: Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, exercise, and eating a healthy diet. Taking care of yourself physically and mentally can help you be more self-aware and in touch with your emotions and thoughts.
In conclusion, self-awareness is a critical aspect of personal growth and development. By understanding your own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, you can make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and achieve your goals. Cultivate self-awareness in your own life by reflecting on your emotions, seeking feedback, practicing mindfulness, and taking care of yourself.
Click here to check out my other post that walks you through the power of habits.
