Self and Self-Awareness Archives – Page 18 of 32

Self-Awareness Means Telling Yourself the Truth

May 7, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

A major element of self-awareness is telling yourself the truth about what’s going on in your life. When you do this you’re able to figure out what’s going well and what needs attention. Being truthful doesn’t mean beating yourself up, it’s just the act of acknowledging the areas you want to strengthen.

A lot of people spend their entire lives lying to themselves and doing things that don’t reflect who they really are deep inside. This leads to pain and misery for the person doing it and the people around him or her. Here are some signs you’re telling yourself the truth:

You know who you really are deep down inside.
Your words match your actions.
You follow your dreams.
You deal well with your emotions.
You’re not afraid of looking at the difficult issues in your upbringing and life in general.
You heal the parts of you that are damaged.
You make life easier for yourself and those around you.
You don’t lie about who you really are.

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware People Try Not to Be the Problem in Relationships

May 6, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

People who lack self-awareness frequently become part of the problem in interpersonal relationships rather than helping devise a solution. This happens because they lose perspective and let other people goad them into conflict or chaos. Look at these scenarios and see if you can spot the difference between being part of the problem and not:

1. The other person gets angry and you immediately retaliate and/or defend yourself.

2. The other person gets angry and you ask them to tell you about it and you listen.

Guess which approach is more likely to get better results? There is a myth that we have to fight for our point of view and deny others theirs but this only perpetuates a communication style that is based on lack of self-awareness and perpetual conflict. If one person wins then the other loses. I much prefer for each person to win.

One of the best ways to reduce confrontation is to simply listen. The world is not going to end if you don’t retaliate or fight. In reality, you actually connect more with the other person if you just listen to them. You also benefit from not fighting.

People like to be valued and listened to and they are much more likely to work with you to resolve problems if they trust you to not trample all over them. The next time you feel a clash coming on, try listening to the other person without commenting, editorializing or offering your opinion. By doing this you will be setting the foundation for improved communication in the future.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and reduce conflict in your relationships?

Cheers,

Guy

What Is Self-Awareness? The Definition of Self-Awareness

May 6, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

People frequently ask me, “What is self-awareness,” or what the definition of self-awareness is. Here are a few important elements of self-awareness I’ve noticed over years of coaching and facilitating workshops:

The ability to understand how your thoughts, feelings and actions affect not only you but also the people around you.
The ability to heal your hurts.
The ability to think, feel and behave consciously instead of unconsciously.
The ability to live authentically.
Understanding yourself at a deeper level rather than superficially.
Forging deeper relationships.
Making the world a better place for as many people as possible because you feel great about yourself.
Living life as the real you.
Integrating the various parts of your being.
Transcending your ego.

What is self-awareness? You get to decide and you’ll know you’re achieving it when you experience both the struggle and the elation that comes from looking within.

Cheers,

Guy

Nice People Are Self-Aware

May 5, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

A big part of self-awareness relates to how you behave in life. Certain behaviors lead in certain direction and a certain type of results. Think about a person who lies, cheats and steals his way to success. He (or she) may have amazing wealth or power, but there will always be something missing because they got there practicing negative behaviors.

The key in life is to be nice so that you can experience the peace of mind that comes from knowing you behaved in a way that was kind, honorable and ethical. Being nice doesn’t mean being weak, it refers to conducting yourself in ways that encourage kindness and build harmony. Ultimately, being nice helps you enjoy life more because you don’t have to worry about all the repercussions that come from behaving negatively.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and be nice?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Trying to Be Perfect

May 4, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

A lot of people think developing self-awareness is the same as trying to be perfect. To dispel this myth, it’s important to understand that there is no such thing as perfection; the only thing that really matters in life is being the best, most authentic you possible. If you don’t live life as the real you and don’t honor who you are deep inside, you will never be able to grow or become fulfilled.

People who are trying to be perfect waste all of their time on some false ideal. I prefer to keep moving forward and taking small actions to become the best me I can be. You don’t have to worry about perfection, just figure out who you are deep inside and then try to be that person in real life. When you let go of the need to be perfect, you can focus on just being yourself.

It’s also important to take a break once in a while and not always be doing stuff. Take some time to do fun things that bring you joy and help you recharge. Supplement your self-awareness development efforts with things that bring you peace and balance. The goal is to keep growing and enjoy the journey toward self-awareness.

Cheers,

Guy

15 Characteristics of Self-Aware, Happy People

May 3, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

Being happy isn’t some unattainable abstract concept, you can consciously work on it until it becomes an integral part of your personal development. The challenge for many people is to increase their self-awareness, look at the things that keep them from feeling joy, and replace them with new ways of thinking and behaving that help them move in a positive direction. Here are fifteen characteristics of self-aware, happy people:

Absence of irrational or excessive fear.
Integration of different parts of their minds.
Ability to behave with empathy and compassion.
Help themselves and others succeed.
Balance and integration between personal and professional lives.
Laugh often and enjoy the lighter side of life.
Able to consider more than one perspective.
Welcome change.
Continually build self-awareness.
Behave joyfully and consistently in all areas of their lives.
Work every day on being happy.
Understand that happiness doesn’t mean endless pleasure.
Actively work on healing their own hurts.
Find meaning inside themselves.
Live a life that reflects who they really are deep inside.

If you already practice thinking and behaving in these ways you know the sense of deep balance and fulfillment they bring. If you don’t, then you have an amazing opportunity to begin working on whichever area needs attention in your life. Being happy isn’t about what you say or how you appear on the outside, it’s about your actual thoughts, emotions and behaviors.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and be genuinely happy?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Helps You Take Action to Succeed

May 2, 2023 - The Self-Awareness Guy

Self-awareness helps you take action to succeed because, when you understand yourself and others’ emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, you are better able to grasp what you need to do to make your dreams come true.

The only thing that separates those who succeed from those who don’t is follow through. Many of us can envision doing something but we don’t take any steps to actually do it. I work with my clients to help them understand that they really can do anything they want. Think about the following steps next time you wish you could do something and use them to motivate yourself to do them:

1. What do you want to do? This is your goal.
2. What can you do today to move toward your goal? This gets you moving.
3. What will you do within one month to keep doing things.
4. Keep doing it.

It’s difficult to complete or succeed in any endeavor if you don’t work on building self-awareness and actually start doing things. Once you begin taking action the only thing you have to worry about it how to keep going. You will naturally run into roadblocks and challenges. You will learn a lot about yourself based on how you keep yourself motivated.

Once you realize that you don’t have to give up your hopes and dreams and that you can really do something about transforming your life, you can begin enjoying the fruits of your labor. What will you do to develop self-awareness and take action to succeed?

Cheers,

Guy