A Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness and Being Ready to Take Action - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Being Ready to Take Action

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Many people get closer to their dreams by building self-awareness and taking action. When you purposefully decide to move in a certain direction you begin a conscious journey that will take you in directions you may not even have imagined. Here’s what some wise people have to say about the subject:

Anais Nin:

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.

Anatole France:

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Alfred North Whitehead:

We cannot think first and act afterward. From the moment of birth we are immersed in action, and can only fitfully coach it by taking thought.

Self-awareness helps you be ready to take action because, when you understand your own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, you’re able to clarify what you want to do in life and move forward confidently. What will you do to develop self-awareness and take action?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Experiencing Joy in Life - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Experiencing Joy in Life

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When I coach people who lack self-awareness they often tell me they have difficulty experiencing joy in their lives. Joy is a wonderful concept which I define as experiencing pure bliss and contentment. Joy is also complex in that we could not experience it if we did not also experience pain. A life of perpetual joy would soon begin to feel bland, so we need the ups and downs that come with everyday experience.

How do you define joy? Joy can be that moment at which you feel complete happiness and want for nothing else. It can be gazing into someone’s eyes whom you love or doing something that means a lot to you. Joy is what we experience when we work through difficulties and as we let go of the things that bring us down. Here’s what some smart people have to say about the matter:

Pearl S. Buck:

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.

Audre Lorde:

The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared between them, and lessens the threat of their difference.

Kahlil Gibran:

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?

Feeling joy in life arises from doing the work necessary to heal your hurts and learning how to manage your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It requires deliberate and continuous effort, but the rewards are wonderful.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and experience joy in life?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Finding Balance at Work - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Finding Balance at Work

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I was talking to a very accomplished person who lacks self-awareness and was feeling overwhelmed by everything going on in his work life. After I asked him to take some time to think about what was going well and what might need improvement in his life, he realized that he had been juggling a great deal of different challenges in the workplace and hadn’t taken time to think about the things that gave him balance.

We become so engrossed in working at a rapid pace that we forget that we can enjoy our efforts more if we pause occasionally to build self-awareness, relax, recharge, and reflect. Take some time in your day to do nothing. Look at the sky, take a walk, draw a picture, meditate, listen to music or do anything else you enjoy that requires no goals or deadlines. Work becomes more enjoyable when you take time to regain our balance and do it on a regular basis.

Balance helps you maintain a generally positive course and helps you be a more effective leader because you are functioning from a place of calm and reflection. It is this middle road where you can find grounding and greater peace rather than the standard rat race. You will always experience highs and lows but, if we nurture the middle, we will always have a place to seek refuge.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and find more balance at work?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Building a Better World - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Building a Better World

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As someone who values self-awareness, you likely understand the role you play in building a better world for everyone. Here are some ideas on how to become a person who makes a difference:

  • Heal the inner hurts from your past so that you feel as good about yourself as possible. People who understand themselves well and have worked out their difficult issues are better able to help others because their own stuff doesn’t get in the way.
  • Take action each day to make your dreams come true. Wake up each morning ready to do things your really love. Don’t settle for just anything that comes your way, work deliberately to make things happen. You don’t have to do everything at once, just take a small step every day.
  • Be yourself. Don’t live someone else’s life, be who you really are deep inside no matter what others say.
  • Believe that the world can be better. If you don’t believe in a compassionate, equitable, caring world, you can’t be part of the solution. Only people who believe in feeling, thinking, and behaving positively can create a more positive world.
  • Love more. Love yourself, love others, love the earth. Fill your days with love.
  • Keep doing things you love and that come from your heart. Your contribution is unique and valuable.
  • Keep building your self-awareness.

Do these things and you’ll feel so great about yourself that you’ll automatically generate positive vibes. What will you do to develop self-awareness and build a better world?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Dealing with People Who Don't Understand You - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Dealing with People Who Don’t Understand You

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A big part of self-awareness is realizing that you’re wonderful no matter how others react to you. Some people will never understand the value of what you do, no matter how hard you try to convince them. I learned this lesson through personal experience in many settings as I tried to enlighten people on what I had to offer and was met with blank stares. I would go home feeling dejected and worthless, but looking forward to the next time I would see them, that’s when I would undoubtedly get them on my side. It never worked.

One day I woke up and realized that I didn’t have to convince people of my worth. If they didn’t get it, it didn’t matter because there were others out there who would. Once I learned this valuable bit of information, I started to focus my energy on connecting with the people who understood me, which has made a huge difference in my life. I now interact daily with vibrant, insightful, kind people who love self-awareness.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and deal with people who don’t understand what you do?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Means Looking at the Deeper Stuff in Life - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Means Looking at the Deeper Stuff in Life

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Self-awareness is about looking at the deeper stuff in life, the things that most people try to avoid. For as long as I can remember I’ve felt comfortable looking at the most unpleasant recesses of my mind. It hasn’t always been a pleasant, easy, or enjoyable journey, but it has enabled me to understand at a very intimate level how people work through their issues in life.

It’s natural not to want to look at the deeper things in life. It’s unpleasant and, unless you’re willing to stick with it, it doesn’t yield results instantly. The irony is that self-awareness means consciously understanding why you think, feel and do the things you do rather than avoiding confrontation with the unsavory elements of your existence.

To live a genuinely happy, meaningful and fulfilling life, it’s vital to take a candid, thoughtful and ongoing look at yourself and do the work necessary to heal inside and out. Self-awareness isn’t easy but the reward is that you get to enjoy life free from the constraints that used to hold you back.

Cheers,
Guy

Self-Awareness Begins with Self-Reflection - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Begins with Self-Reflection

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True self-awareness begins with self-reflection, the process of examining and understanding what you think, feel and do. A lot of people are able to recognize that they think or do something but are unable to consciously change or modify it. Self-reflection means that you do the following:

  • Be willing to take a candid look at yourself.
  • Recognize your strengths.
  • Identify your areas for improvement.
  • Learn how to experience your full range of emotions.
  • Find ways to identify and heal your deepest hurts.
  • Stop doing things that don’t work.
  • Think, feel and behave consciously and positively.
  • Move from being reactive to proactive.
  • Be willing to learn, grow and change.
  • Be open to new experiences.

There’s a big difference between saying you’re self-aware and actually knowing who you really are. Genuine self-awareness requires constant, ongoing reflection, exploration, and an openness to new perspectives and ideas. What will you do to start your journey of self-reflection?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy