Good Morning EVERYONE! And Welcome Back! Today, I wanted to write about something that I speak about often throughout our social media and that’s self-awareness. Why? Well, it is one of the underrated yet very necessary skills we need to be successful. As you may have heard before “know thyself” which simply refers to this very skill. So without further delay, lets begin with Why Self Awareness is Often Overlooked? And Why it’s Important
Self-awareness is a form of self-control.
Being self-aware involves what we notice about ourselves and how we control our inner selves. Those who have high self-awareness are honest with themselves as well as others. They acknowledge and understand how their feelings affect them, their performance, and other people.
However, self-awareness isn’t just about tuning in to our feelings, although it is a good place to start. Self-awareness is also about our behavior in response to how we feel. Your actions and words impact everyone around you in ways youmight not really intend. Being self-aware is also crucial for leadership success.
Why Self Awareness is Often Overlooked?
The primary reason why self-awareness is often overlooked is that it is hard to get. The lack of self-understanding is also a key factor that holds people back from self-awareness. We live with ourselves 24/7. This creates a perception that we know ourselves really well. However, the truth is, most of us are terrible at measuring how we come across to others and often assess ourselves on the basis of internal filters that are not very accurate.
Evaluating negative aspects of ourselves and offering negative but constructive feedback to others is not easy and it makes everyone uncomfortable. Not to mention our society also promotes self-esteem rather than self-reflection which can lead to diminished self-awareness and an inflated sense of self-worth.
Why is it So Important?
You may have heard the advice from famous people, “stay true to yourself”. This advice is very important because high self-awareness is a solid predictor of good overall success in life, mainly because a self-aware individual knows when an opportunity is suitable for them. By becoming self-aware and understanding your limitations and strengths, you open up opportunities that are simply not available otherwise. You are also able to have more genuine and honest relationships because the people you are attracted to will want to be withyou for who you really are.
Being able to utilize self-knowledge to assess your life and make better decisions regarding your life goals, relationships, and work is another major benefit of self-awareness.
It gives you the ability to be proactive rather than reactive. Knowing your weaknesses and strengths prepares you for handling life situations with ease and grace instead of having a breakdown when conflicts and issues arise.
When you are self-aware, you are basically more honest with yourself and you also allow others to be honest with you. T
his really helps you not take things at a personal level because you are aware of your weaknesses, your flaws, and your strengths and you don’t take it personally when sometimes tries to point them out to you. You are able to view your mistakes and weaknesses as opportunities for growth and you are more intentional with your choices. You have a better understanding of what you are working towards and the steps you need to get there.
Last but not least, when you are self-aware, you don’t dwell in the past. You are more accepting of the flaws and mistakes of others because you realize we are all human. You are able to forgive and let go and live in the present moment.
How to Build Self-Awareness
Building self-awareness requires self-evaluation. However, a non-judgmental, honest self-evaluation isn’t easy. We tend to criticize ourselves for our mistakes or fantasize about how awesome we are, when neither is actually the case. Everyone has a unique mix of good and bad characteristics, but most people are largely unaware of them.
In order to objectively self-reflect, we need to open our hearts and quiet our minds, forgiving ourselves for our flaws and offering ourselves praise, but only where we deserve it.
Building self-awareness of inappropriate behaviors or false attitudes requires focus, attention, time, and peace of mind. Knowing ahead of time that we can build deeper self-awareness to change ourselves in positive ways makes it worth working on those personal traits we most value.
The Bottom Line, Why Self Awareness is Often Overlooked? And Why it’s Important
When we are self-aware, we have a better sense of who we are. This includes acknowledging and recognizing our emotions even when it is difficult. This is helpful for noticing how our behavior is corresponding to our feelings. Practicing self-awareness improves our optimism, growth mindset, and confidence. Awareness of who we are and how we feel gives us what we need to understand relationship skills, social awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making. I hope this helps you realize the unlimited potential you have when you stop to listen to yourself! Till next time!-The Black Sheep
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