The Self-Awareness Guy

What Is Self Awareness and Why Is It Important? - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

What Is Self Awareness and Why Is It Important?

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People often ask me what is self-awareness and why is it important? In a nutshell, self-awareness is the ability to understand who you are and why you feel, think, and behave the way you do. It’s important because it means the difference between living with your eyes closed or open, being unconscious or conscious.

Think of someone you know who never seems to have a clue about what they’re doing or why things are happening in their lives; that’s a person without self-awareness. People who know themselves well are able to live much deeper, more fulfilling and balanced lives as opposed to just stumbling from one accident to another. Here are some of the characteristics of people who possesses a high level of self-awareness:

  • They heal the hurts from their past.
  • They know who they are deep inside and what they really want to do in life.
  • They understand why they feel, think, and act the way they do.
  • They are able to step outside themselves and empathize with others.
  • They enjoy more meaningful interpersonal relationships.
  • They get along with others.
  • They don’t need to control everything.
  • They don’t have to win all the time.
  • They constantly learn and grow.
  • They understand how their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors affect not only them, but others, as well as society in general.
  • They care about reality.
  • They’re comfortable with themselves.
  • They’re generally happier.
  • They make the world a better place.

The reason why self-awareness is so important is that it gives you the opportunity to live consciously and actually affect your destiny. People who are self-aware are able to enjoy living at a more meaningful level.

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Helps Increase Clarity in Relationships - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Helps Increase Clarity in Relationships

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Self-awareness helps increase clarity in relationships because, when people understand their own emotions, thoughts, and actions, they are able to resolve issues and empathize with each other.

People in relationships often move in different directions without even knowing it. Even some of the most well-intentioned people who really care for each other experience conflict and challenges because they are not on the same page.

I’m a big supporter of clarity in relationships. Clarity is when everyone involved understands what’s going on in the relationship. It does away with assumptions, secrets, guesses, misunderstandings and frustration because we actually get to figure out what’s going on.

How to gain clarity? Practice self-awareness and use the following steps to help you get to the core of what’s happening in your relationship:

1. Each person talks uninterrupted about how they see the situation?
2. Each person listens carefully without judging, rebutting or giving advice.
3. Each person asks open ended questions to clarify what is going on.
4. The people agree on a way to proceed.

Dialogue is very important to achieving clarity. Make sure to practice listening skills and asking questions. Open-ended questions are questions that don’t lead to a yes or no answer and allow the other person to meaningfully explain where they are coming from.

This is a style of talking about relationship issues that doesn’t require confrontation; it’s just about people listening to each other and sharing their points of view. Try it sometime to gain clarity on what’s going on in your relationship.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and increase the clarity in your relationships?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Moving Past Hurt - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Moving Past Hurt

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When you possess self-awareness, you’re much more likely to enjoy life rather than feeling miserable. Living in hurt is something that countless numbers of people know all too well. They may not consciously understand what they’re doing, but they experience the results of their subconscious minds compelling them to behave in negative, unproductive, and counterintuitive ways.

The legacy of hurt is powerful. It can travel over generations and influence people in its proximity. Hurt people routinely destroy themselves, others, their nations, and the planet. Throughout many years of helping individuals and groups build self-awareness, I’ve noticed that the most genuinely happy people are those who have dealt directly with their hurts. This means they’ve done the hard work necessary to examine themselves and heal the wounds of the past.

Moving beyond pain or trauma is difficult. It requires a higher level of self-awareness and a commitment to improving oneself. Very few people do it, but those who embark on the journey are rewarded with a richer, multifaceted, healthy, expansive life.

What will you do to increase self-awareness and reduce the hurt in your life?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Reducing Stress at Work - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Reducing Stress at Work

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Leaders who possess self-awareness are able to reduce stress at work because they understand how their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors can lead to a more calm, positive mindset.

Many leaders run around in a perpetual state of stress but did you know you can do some basic things to interrupt this pattern? Being stressed is a natural reaction if you’re being chased by a lion but can cause all kinds of problems if you are feeling it all the time in your workplace. Think of the following ideas to reduce your stress at work.

  1. Do things you love for a living. This will help you avoid the stress from doing a job you hate.
  2. Surround yourself with supportive people. Make sure that you interact with people who respect you for who you are.
  3. Limit the overwhelm. You don’t have to take on everything at once.  Do one thing well and move on to the next.
  4. Take time to take care of yourself. Take time each day to take a walk or talk with a supportive friend.
  5. Focus on the positive. Don’t worry so much about the stuff you can’t control or that goes wrong. Think about the things that are going well.

Try these ideas to help balance your work life. You’ll be thankful you started thinking this way when you feel more relaxed and less stressed out. What will you do to use your self-awareness to reduce the stress you feel at work?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Practice Effective Communication - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Aware Leaders Practice Effective Communication

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Self-aware leaders practice effective communication because they’re aware of how their emotions, thoughts, and actions affect their ability to interact with others.

Your communication style tells other people a lot about your professionalism and what they can expect when they deal with you. A theme that frequently arises when I train leaders is how to communicate in a manner that invites your employees to collaborate with you and work for you. The following tips will help you put your best foot forward and communicate confidently.

  • Listen actively. It’s amazing what you learn when you are not talking.
  • Say it briefly. Go with the approach that less is more in communication.
  • Keep it professional. Effective communication is not the appropriate time to vent about personal problems or delve into people’s private lives.
  • Keep your temper in check. If you fly off the handle it not only shuts down communication but also reduces the likelihood that the other company will give you an opportunity in the future.
  • Don’t get defensive. Remind yourself that communication glitches aren’t a personal slight against you, they are just part of regular interactions.
  • Practice excellent conflict resolution skills.  Brainstorm with the other person to get some ideas on how to deal with the issue at hand and agree on a solution that works for both of you.
  • Plan ahead. Develop a communication strategy and follow it to eliminate guesswork.

Your employees and colleagues evaluate you much in the same way your clients do. How you communicate says a lot to the outside world about your level of self-awareness and the way you do things. Keep these tips in mind as you interact with other people and you’ll be on your way to increasing your success exponentially. What will you do to develop your self-awareness and be a self-aware leader who practices effective communication?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Positive Thinking - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Positive Thinking

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Self-awareness, leadership, and successful thinking are interlinked because leaders who understand their strengths and areas for improvement are better able to lead effectively.

Ever work for a leader who always sees the glass as half empty? What was it like? As a leader, how you wake up in the morning can make a big difference on how successful your day, your week or your entire work life is. Think about how your work day will go if you think thoughts like these:

  • Another day another dollar.
  • I hate my work.
  • I don’t want to get out of bed.
  • I hate my job.
  • I don’t feel like doing anything new.
  • I lost my slippers.
  • I wish those birds would shut up.
  • I can’t deal with my employees.
  • I won’t get any clients.

You might be better off staying in bed if you think these thoughts because they are going to lead you toward stagnation or lack of motivation and will do the same for your workplace. Think about what kind of results you might get if you increased your self-awareness and consciously thought the following:

  • I’m going to make my work meaningful.
  • I’m looking forward to the people I’ll meet today.
  • I’ve designed work activities I enjoy.
  • It’s going to be a great day.
  • I love the sound of birds chirping.
  • Nothing can stop me today.
  • My workplace is full of opportunities.
  • I love the work I do.

It may feel a little different at first, but thinking in a positive way actually leads you in a positive direction. If you think you’re going to fail, you will, if you envision success you’re more likely to create those results. How you think about your workplace will deeply affect the way your career unfolds.

How will you develop self-awareness and practice successful thinking?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Means Possessing Emotional Intelligence - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Means Possessing Emotional Intelligence

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When you’re self-aware, you’re in touch with and can manage your emotions, which means you possess emotional intelligence. People are often scared or don’t understand the concept of emotional intelligence, but it’s really just a helpful skill that can help anyone live a better life.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to deal with or manage your emotions and welcome the emotions of others. If you’re an emotionally intelligent individual, you’re comfortable with any feeling that occurs inside you, you’re able to handle it and keep your life moving in a positive direction, and you do the same when others are feeling things.

A lot of people are deeply uncomfortable with experiencing their emotions, they’ve been taught that it somehow makes them weak or vulnerable – they’re basically afraid of what will happen if they look at the things that are troubling them. The irony is that self-aware people who openly experience their emotions are happier and more courageous.

Over the years, I’ve found that people actually feel better when they learn how to deal with and manage their emotions. It’s like a weight lifts off their shoulders and they’re able to enjoy life to it’s fullest.

Emotions are a natural part of life and you can either use them to become a healthier person or let them bring you down. What will you do to develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy