A Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness and Avoiding Being Ordinary - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Avoiding Being Ordinary

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Self-awareness helps you avoid being ordinary so you can experience a life of courage, joy, love, enlightenment, meaning, and fulfillment. Throughout my career consulting for and training thoughtful people who are searching for answers in their lives and trying to develop self-awareness, I have noticed that there is a vast difference between conforming and blazing your own path. My experience has taught me that the goal in life isn’t to just get by or live an ordinary existence, but rather:

  • Being who you really are.
  • Doing courageous things each day to make your dreams come true.
  • Going against the grain when in the presence of injustice.
  • Thinking and behaving differently than the norm.
  • Not trying to fit in.
  • Adding to the beauty in the world.
  • Making the world a better place for as many people as possible.
  • Moving beyond high-school behaviors.
  • Becoming your own person rather than the one your parents, family, or peer group want you to be.
  • Thinking and behaving with kindness and compassion rather than self-interest.

Moving past the standard way of being requires consciously diverging from what most people do. It means having the self-awareness to be your own person and do your own thing. The underlying reason is that you get to be yourself rather than conforming to others or pretending you’re someone else, thus living a much richer, more meaningful life.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and go beyond ordinariness?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware People Try Not to Be the Problem in Relationships - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

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

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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 - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

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

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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:

  1. The ability to understand how your thoughts, feelings and actions affect not only you but also the people around you.
  2. The ability to heal your hurts.
  3. The ability to think, feel and behave consciously instead of unconsciously.
  4. The ability to live authentically.
  5. Understanding yourself at a deeper level rather than superficially.
  6. Forging deeper relationships.
  7. Making the world a better place for as many people as possible because you feel great about yourself.
  8. Living life as the real you.
  9. Integrating the various parts of your being.
  10. 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

Self-Awareness Heals the Darkness Inside - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Heals the Darkness Inside

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We all have some darkness inside; that place we don’t want to visit where our deepest fears, regrets, and other unmentionables reside. One of the reasons I love consulting for people who value self-awareness is that they actively work on shining a light in these unpleasant recesses of the psyche instead of pretending they don’t exist.

It’s impossible to live a genuinely happy life if you don’t deal with the monsters under the bed. I tried for years to pretend that my disquiets didn’t exist or to numb them in some way, but they never left my side. It was only when I became self-aware and conscious enough to acknowledge my issues that I was able to move in a healthier direction. I still have uneasy moments, but I’m generally moving toward the light.

As you increase your self-awareness, you’ll find that you understand yourself on a different level, one where you can actually take action and heal yourself. What will you do to develop self-awareness and heal the darkness inside you?

Cheers,

Guy

Nice People Are Self-Aware - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Nice People Are Self-Aware

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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 - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Trying to Be Perfect

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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

Self-Awareness and Political Correctness - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Political Correctness

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Self-awareness and political correctness go hand in hand because a major part of being comfortable with yourself is treating others with kindness and compassion. It’s really difficult to be genuinely happy when you’re stepping on someone. The way you feel about yourself deep inside is reflected in how you perceive and interact with others. When you live a life of introspection, openness, flexibility and balance, you welcome other perspectives without feeling threatened. Here are some ideas to move past struggling with political correctness:

  • Be happy with yourself so you can treat others positively.
  • Get to know yourself well so you can get to know others.
  • Look beyond your own immediate needs.
  • Practice empathy and kindness.
  • Consider other points of view without feeling attacked.
  • Let go of the need to control or dominate others.

It takes conscious and deliberate effort to think of others and behave in a kind, empathic, respectful way. The key to living a fulfilling life is to be so happy about who you are that you do everything in your power not to hurt other people. What will you do to increase your self-awareness to treat yourself and others well?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy