Why is Self-Awareness so important?
Self-awareness is so important because it gives us a better understanding of ourselves. Consequently, we are able to develop our own unique and separate personalities. When we are enlightened, we can make the correct changes to work on our weaknesses and improve on our strengths. Most people do not even know their own strengths, potential, or even their own personality. Many people waste valuable time striving to be someone they are not.
Self-awareness is part of our intelligence. It goes beyond any standardized test that grades us on mathematics, problem-solving, or reading comprehension. Self awareness is far more important than book smarts or IQ test results. Self awareness is part of the golden quadrant of Emotional Intelligence.
How to develop and Increase
Self-Awareness:
- LOOK AT YOURSELF OBJECTIVELY. Try to identify your current understanding of yourself by writing out your perceptions.
- KEEP A JOURNAL. This will help give you a better idea of who you are, what you are thinking about, and what you want out of life right now.
- WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS, PLANS AND PRIORITIES. Plan out your life goals in a worksheet, so they turn from ideas into reality through a step by-step process.
- PERFORM DAILY SELF-REFLECTION. Start by setting aside just 15 minutes each day for quiet self-reflection. Find a quiet place to think.
- PRACTICE MEDITATION AND OTHER MINDFULNESS HABITS. Meditation is the practice of improving your mindful awareness and the ability to go with the flow.
- TAKE PERSONALITY AND PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS. These tests compel respondents to think about a set of traits or characteristics that closely describe them, relative to other people.
- ASK TRUSTED FRIENDS TO DESCRIBE YOU. Make sure your friends know that they are doing this to help you, not to hurt you.
- ASK FOR FEEDBACK AT WORK. Performance reviews are constructive and having an option for formalized feedback allows us to self reflect and work on our own strengths and weaknesses.
Being able to learn Self Awareness by reading, listening, and self-reflection will enlighten you for the rest of your life.
How can the focus of the internal
perception of ourselves force us
to go deeper?
- SELF-AWARENESS IS ESSENTIALLY BEING COGNIZANT OF WHAT WE DO AND WHO WE ARE. Thus, it is the concept we have of ourselves based on our beliefs, biases, thoughts, ideas, conclusions, and emotions. As such, we can assess who we are by our emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, and occupational circumstances by the way we act. In a way, it is a reflection of how we see ourselves. This reflection can be either positive or negative. Strive to make it positive.
- THE SECOND TYPE OF SELF-AWARENESS EMBODIES AN INTERNAL PERCEPTION OF ONESELF. As such, it is achieved through introspection. This type of self-awareness can be achieved through processes such as meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation, and deep thought. The aim is to discover who you really are on the inside as opposed to seeing who you are on the outside.
