Self-awareness gives you hope because you’re able to live proactively and consciously rather than enduring whatever comes your way. If you don’t know yourself very well you might see the world as a vast, unknown, scary entity that has total control over you, which might lead you to say things like:
- Life is hard and it will always be.
- I have no opportunities.
- I can only rely on myself.
- Things will never change.
Fortunately, you have a lot of control over your thoughts, feelings and behaviors and you can view even the most difficult situations from whatever perspective you choose. For example, you could convert the statements above to ones that indicate you understand how much power you have:
- Life may be hard at times but I can decide to move forward positively.
- I’m going to look for the opportunities in this situation.
- I know I can rely on myself but I can also connect with others.
- I can make change happen.
Each of these sets of examples represents a different worldview: One is based on the assumption that the world is harsh and negative and the other suggests that you can affect your environment even if things are difficult. When you understand yourself really well, you shift from living passively to choosing how you experience the world. What will you do to increase your hopefulness through self-awareness?
Cheers,
Guy
