Examples of Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness and Thinking about Others - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Thinking about Others

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Perhaps you’ve met individuals who assure you they possess self-awareness and then trample all over other people. It’s like the boss who says she’s wonderful and caring and shouts at her employees or the husband who says he’s a great guy but does things that deeply hurt his spouse.

When you have a high level of self-awareness you naturally think about others. The more comfortable and knowledgeable you are about what drives your thoughts, feelings and behaviors, the more likely you will be to feel happy and balanced and treat other people in a caring, compassionate way. If you solely care about your money, your power, your own success, your immediate needs, your safety, or your own point of view, you’re less likely to think about other people.

The key to living a genuinely fulfilling, happy life is to realize that you can take care of yourself and others, not just one or the other. As you become healthier and more tuned in to who you are deep inside, you’re much more likely to help others do the same. What will you do to keep building your self-awareness and thinking about others?

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 and Negative Beliefs - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Negative Beliefs

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When you possess a high degree of self-awareness you tend to bypass negative beliefs because you have a more complete understanding of what’s really going on inside and around you and how you can move things in a positive direction rather than staying stuck in fear, superstition, inaction or inauthenticity. Here are some ideas to help you reduce the negativity:

  • Realize that you can’t possibly control everything around you.
  • Work actively on understanding yourself on a deeper level.
  • Take action each day to do things that are meaningful to you.
  • Believe that your perception of the world doesn’t have to be negative.
  • See the big picture rather than getting mired in endless detail.
  • Focus on what’s going well.
  • Learn to redirect negative feelings and replace them with positive alternatives.

Negative people and events can’t hold you back if you don’t let them. You have many options available to you rather than despairing or giving up, what will you do to increase your self-awareness and get rid of negative beliefs?

Cheers,

Guy

Rigid Thinking Means Lack of Self-Awareness - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Rigid Thinking Means Lack of Self-Awareness

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Rigid thinking reflects a lack of self-awareness and often leads to unhappiness and imbalance, yet many people hang on to one set of thoughts and behaviors throughout their entire lives. They do this because they’re unwilling or unable to consider any other point of view other than their own, usually because they feel that something negative will happen if they consider other options. Some people genuinely believe that they’ll look weak if they change their minds, others are afraid that their carefully constructed world will come tumbling down.

It can be daunting when you realize that your former views don’t fit the situation you’re facing or that you don’t have the tools to deal with new circumstances. Thankfully, human beings are able to raise their self-awareness, change their thinking patterns and acquire new information. Here are some ideas to help you expand your thinking:

  • Actively research and read from many sources.
  • Learn about other points of view.
  • Challenge yourself to look at a situation from a different perspective.
  • Tell yourself the world won’t end if you change your thoughts.
  • Become stronger by learning new things.
  • Listen to what others say and consider their views.
  • Be optimistic that new views can be beneficial.
  • Welcome change into your life.
  • Consider thinking in a way that brings you joy.
  • Think in ways that add to your self-awareness and help you grow.
  • Identify ways to build bridges.
  • Think compassionately.

When you think openly, it helps you find a point of view that brings you genuine, deep happiness and fulfillment rather than covering up your warts or enabling you to barely make it through the day. New ideas and information can help you thrive and succeed in ways you might have not even imagined before. What will you do to improve your self-awareness and think optimistically and openly?

Cheers,

Guy

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

Self-Awareness and Being Creative

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When you possess self-awareness you’re able to explore your creativity. Being creative requires courage because you have to put yourself out there and expose your ideas to scrutiny and criticism.

Creativity simply means coming up with something that didn’t exist before, it requires a sense of optimism and daring, a willingness to challenge the status quo or prevailing wisdom.

We all have the ability to be creative but some people have been programmed to believe that it’s difficult or even dangerous, some even go as far as holding on to the same way of doing things no matter what the results are.

The great thing about human beings is that we have the ability to generate new ideas and bring them to fruition. We don’t have to stay stuck and we can forge a world based on kindness and compassion instead of fear and suspicion.

People who value self-awareness and being creative are able to pioneer bold movements and envision new solutions to the issues we all face.

What will you do to increase your self-awareness and explore your creativity?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy