Personal Awareness

Self-Awareness and Creating Positive Vibes - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Creating Positive Vibes

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Like anyone who is working on building his or her self-awareness and trying to spread positive vibes in the world, my patience and interpersonal skills are often tested. I recently went through a really challenging experience where a series of negative things happened over a period of several days. At the end of the ordeal I was left with a stark choice:

  1. Fight.
  2. Move on and live kindly and peacefully.

Regrettably, I initially chose number one and it took an awful toll on me. I felt like I was creating all kinds of negative energy; making not only myself but others unhappy. I struggled with my feelings about the situation and finally discovered what was bothering me so much: I was creating negative vibes instead of living my life how I really want to, with self-awareness, kindness, and grace.

As a thinking, feeling person, I had the ability to behave any way I wanted and I chose a less than wonderful course of action. When I realized that I was acting in a way that wasn’t leading down a positive path, I consciously moved in a more self-aware, beneficial direction. This deliberate decision not only made my life easier but also created a better world because there was one less person creating negative energy, me.

I love consulting for people who value self-awareness because they try to understand how their thoughts and actions actions affect other people and the world in general. They also work hard to build a better world for themselves and others. What will you do to develop self-awareness and create positive vibes?

Cheers,

Guy

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

Self-Awareness and Listening

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People who possess a high level of self-awareness tend to be good at listening, which is one of the most vital skills to live consciously, meaningfully and compassionately. The ability to listen allows you to:

  • Avoid getting your stuff all over other people.
  • Learn more about other people.
  • Avoid jumping to conclusions.
  • Honor other people.
  • Treat people with respect.
  • Build trust.
  • Connect on a deeper level.
  • Practice self-awareness by not stepping on the important things people are trying to tell you.
  • Show how healthy and balanced you are.
  • Build positive relationships.

It takes a lot of restraint to let go of having to be in the spotlight and give other people the time and space to tell their stories but it will help you live a richer and more meaningful life. What will you do to listen more?

Cheers,

Guy

Building a Culture of Workplace Self-Awareness and Team Building - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Building a Culture of Workplace Self-Awareness and Team Building

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Genuine team building goes beyond the occasional bonding activity or retreat to establishing a culture that encourages self-awareness, rewards collaboration, and teaches everyone in your workplace how to build and participate in cohesive teams. Here are five ideas to keep in mind as you begin creating a culture of self-awareness and team building in your organization:

  1. Team building flows from the top. Leaders who practice self-awareness set a positive example of how to behave in the workplace. They show employees the organization is genuinely interested in building healthy teams by actively setting up and participating in an ongoing program.
  1. Team building is a company value. You get to choose what your organization values and what it doesn’t and whether people in the organization work against each other or collaborate. You decide what behaviors are acceptable and encouraged in your workplace.
  1. Train the trainer. Set aside the time and resources to train people at all levels of the organizations who then train their particular departments until all employees have the knowledge to practice effective team building.
  1. Schedule regular time for team building activities. You show your employees that team building is a priority by establishing a weekly stand-alone activity that doesn’t have to share space with other meetings and is attended by people at all levels.
  1. Team building is about celebrating your employees. Design team building activities where leaders and employees can connect on a deeper level, build meaningful relationships and praise each other in public.

As a leader, you decide what kind of work environment you create and whether you commit long-term to making it easier for your employees to come together and work collaboratively. What will you do to support a culture of self-awareness and team building in your organization?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Reduces Anger - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Reduces Anger

/ / Self-Awareness, Self-Consciousness / , , , , ,

One of the biggest benefits of building self-awareness is that it reduces anger. If you wake up each day and don’t pursue your dreams, go to a job you hate, hang out with people who don’t value the real you, stuff your feelings, or pretend you’re fulfilled, you’re very likely to be upset. Living this way leads to anger because you’re just not happy. Here are some ideas on how you can use self-awareness to improve the situation:

  • Agree with yourself to move in a new direction.
  • Get to know who you are deep inside.
  • Understand your strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Choose one thing to work on.
  • Take action each day to create movement in your life.
  • Praise yourself each time you notice a positive change.
  • Repeat the process.

People feel unsettled and upset when they’re not living authentically or doing things they find meaningful. What will you do to be less angry?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Helps You Expect the Unexpected - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Helps You Expect the Unexpected

/ / Self and Self-Awareness, Self-Awareness, Self-Consciousness / , , ,

As you work on your self-awareness you’ll often find that things don’t go exactly as planned. The key to success is to expect that things will change and that not everything will go your way. When you let go of the need to control events and people you’ll be flexible enough to deal with any challenge. It will also allow you to be less stressed-out when things don’t go the way you anticipated.

When you expect the unexpected, you open yourself to experiencing new things and learning along the way. Even the most difficult experience brings with it some kind of insight and knowledge. The trick is to see these temporary detours in life as opportunities for growth instead of unwelcome or catastrophic events.

The next time something unexpected happens in your life, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you’re able to handle anything and that you’ll always encounter things you hadn’t planned. Let go of the need to control everything and learn from what’s happening. Don’t forget that change is a natural part of life.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and expect the unexpected?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Tapping into Your Creativity - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Tapping into Your Creativity

/ / Self and Self-Awareness, Self-Awareness, Self-Consciousness / , ,

People who lack self-awareness think that they have to be artists in order to be creative but anyone can use this skill to create success in their lives. Being creative simply means creating something where there wasn’t something before. It helps us tap into doing the things we love and exploring new avenues. Creativity can help us get out of a rut and discover new and exciting pursuits. Think of the following ideas when you are ready to increase self-awareness and get creative:

1. What do you love doing?
2. What can you create right this moment?
3. How could creating that thing improve your life?
4. How will you feel after you create this thing?
5. What will you do to continue being creative?

You will notice that these questions are designed to help you think about your creativity. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers or good or bad approaches. You get to decide what you want to work on and where you want to go. Take it easy on yourself: start with small steps and gradually work on bigger projects. The act of tapping into your creativity regularly will help you come up with ideas that could change your life.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and celebrate your creativity?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Helps You Heal a Broken Heart - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Helps You Heal a Broken Heart

/ / Self and Self-Awareness, Self-Awareness / , , , / 2 Comments

Self-awareness can help you deal with a broken heart because, when you understand yourself deep inside, you’re able to celebrate the good things about you and heal the parts that require extra care. When you’re in touch with your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, you’re better able to deal with any relationship situation.

Perhaps you’ve had your heart broken by a parent, friend, relative, co-worker, or significant other. You can gain a lot of strength from how you deal with these hurts. It’s perfectly natural to be hurt, and how you deal it will lead you down the path toward having a healthy or failing heart.

The way you treat your heart can affect many areas in your life. Imagine if you could never recover from and insult or a break-up, you’d spend the rest of your life being miserable. Your heart follows your actions, you can choose to stay stuck in pain and misery or be kind to your heart and do things to move in a more positive direction. You have the ability to become more self-aware and change your behavior consciously, a skill that comes in handy when tending to your heart.

The next time your heart hurts ask yourself some questions that will help you move in a positive direction, like:

  • What is hurting me?
  • What can I do to improve how I feel and take care of myself?
  • What can I do to interrupt the pattern that keeps me stuck with a hurting heart?

When you discover why you are hurting, you then are able to do something differently. Our hearts often hurt because we have not yet learned how to mend them and nurse them back to health. Some people carry this hurt their entire lives. Much as an unhealthy heart can keep you from running a marathon, it can also keep you from enjoying a great relationship.

When you learn how to care for your heart, you can then enjoy it in all its healthy glory. What will you do to develop self-awareness and heal your heart?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy