Awareness of Emotions

Self-Aware People Realize Things Can't Make Them Happy - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Aware People Realize Things Can’t Make Them Happy

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I frequently consult with people who lack self-awareness and genuinely believe that buying things will make them happy. Time after time they realize that buying stuff really doesn’t affect their long term happiness. Sure, there is a buzz that comes from buying something you like but it doesn’t resolve the underlying things that are vital to fulfillment. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be happy buying things, it just requires that you put some thought into why you buy stuff. If you buy objects with the hopes of feeling better about yourself, I have some basic questions you can ask yourself to build self-awareness and help you focus on what’s really going on.

1. Do I really need this object?
2. How am I focusing on fixing the deeper issues in my life?
3. Do I feel less whole when I can’t shop?
4. In what ways does buying things affect my emotions?
5. Does shopping help me postpone feeling emotions?
6. Do I hide the fact that I buy stuff from others?
7. Do I have to buy other stuff to keep the buzz going?
8. In what other areas of my life could I devote more energy and thought?
9. Could my money be used for long-term success?
10. How am I defined by my things?

The answers to these questions will help you get some perspective on how your buying habits affect your life. There’s nothing wrong or horrible with buying nice things unless it prevents you from looking at the deeper stuff in life.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and be happy from sources other than buying things?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Being Unhelpful - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Being Unhelpful

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The more self-awareness you have, the happier you are and the more you move away from being unhelpful when others need assistance. There are many instances where people don’t help each other very much or choose to interact negatively, for example:

  • Pointing out what’s going wrong instead of what is going well.
  • Criticizing instead of offering solutions.
  • Talking over people.
  • Making sarcastic or sardonic remarks.
  • Taking a lot of time to explain why they can’t do something rather than doing it.
  • Finding ways to not help.
  • Acting like a know-it-all and making people feel inadequate.

As you gain more self-awareness you move away from these types of behaviors because you realize that other people are valuable, and you do things like:

  • Highlight what is going well.
  • Offer solutions.
  • Listen.
  • Make positive remarks.
  • Do something helpful instead of talking about what you can’t do.
  • Find ways to help.
  • Behave in ways that are kind and helpful.

There is a vast difference between the first list and the second list; one hurts people and creates conflict and the other encourages relationship building. You get to choose which path you take. Self-awareness means you understand how important it is to treat everyone with respect and care. What will you do to be more helpful?

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

Self-Awareness Helps You Avoid Regret - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Helps You Avoid Regret

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A lot of people who lack self-awareness talk about living with no regrets and then go out and do stuff that is purely physical or superficial and doesn’t really help them grow as human beings. As you build your self-awareness, you’ll realize that physical or superficial pursuits are not the things that really matter in life, what people actually regret are things like:

  • Not having deep relationships with others.
  • Not saying, “I Love You,” more often to their loved ones.
  • Not pursuing their dreams.
  • Not having the courage to live life as themselves.
  • Not taking the time to work on the issues that held them back in life.
  • Not admitting mistakes.
  • Not being in touch with their emotions.
  • Not treating themselves and others well.
  • Not making the world a better place.
  • Not making life easier for others.
  • Not behaving with kindness and empathy toward all people.
  • Not letting go of fear.

You’ll notice that these types of regrets don’t have anything to do with superficial gratification, living recklessly, or being hooked on adrenaline, they refer to the quiet moments when we have to face who we are as people and decide whether we did everything in our power to live meaningfully.

Self-awareness allows you to live on a deeper level, where you understand what really matters in life rather than trying to fill yourself up with temporary placebos. It’s a way of living that goes below the surface and brings you greater satisfaction.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and avoid regrets in your life?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Means Working through Your Stuff - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Means Working through Your Stuff

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It’s important to work through your stuff even if you don’t really want to, otherwise you’ll live a reactive, unconscious life rather than building your self-awareness and enjoying being the real you.

A lot of people spend an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to avoid difficult issues instead of dealing with them openly and directly. It’s painful to look at your inner bruises but it’s the only way to heal yourself deep inside and move forward in life. When you deal with the challenges that hold you back, you open up doors of opportunity that would have been closed otherwise.

It may not be easy, but the process of increasing self-awareness and healing your hurts is the only true path to happiness. It’s like having a toothache, it will never go away until you treat it. One of the reasons I enjoy connecting with people who value self-awareness is that they often are in a place where they’re already comfortable looking deep inside, and that’s where all change begins.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and work through your stuff?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Means Looking at Yourself - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Means Looking at Yourself

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Self-awareness means looking at yourself because you want to live consciously instead of reacting to the things going on inside or around you. It’s very difficult to create forward momentum in your life if you’re not willing to look at your strengths and areas for improvement. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you examine who you are:

  • What are some things you do well?
  • What are some things about yourself you would improve?
  • What does it feel like to be fulfilled?
  • What does it feel like when things don’t go so well?
  • Which of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors have led to success and which ones have led to less than positive results?
  • What one thing would you change today if you could?
  • What brings you deep joy in life?
  • What things do you find meaningful?
  • What would you be doing right now if you were living authentically?

Your answers to these questions will help you take a look at yourself and begin to understand what makes you think, feel and do the things you do. The key to self-awareness is to live consciously rather than reactively. The more you know yourself, the easier it is to live meaningfully. What will you do to take a deeper look at yourself?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Means Living Authentically - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Means Living Authentically

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When you possess self-awareness you live authentically, which means that you do things like:

  • Look at yourself honestly, openly and continuously.
  • Strive to understand who you are deep inside.
  • Think, feel and behave like the real you.
  • Realize how your actions affect you and others.
  • Think and behave in ways that make you and others happy.
  • Understand the interrelations between people.
  • Behave with kindness and empathy.
  • You’re genuinely happy with yourself.
  • Actively heal your hurts.
  • You’re willing to work on any area of your life that needs strengthening.
  • You’re committed to learning about yourself, others and the world at large and continue growing.
  • Let go of fear.
  • Look below the surface.
  • Live your dreams.

When you do these types of things you tap into who you are as a person deep inside. The key to living a happy, fulfilling life is to be true to yourself and live in a way that brings you meaning. What will you do to live authentically?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy