How self-aware are you?

Do you know your quirks, your faults, what makes you happy or sad? Do you understand yourself so that you can sense when something is wrong with your body and need to go to a doctor?

When you push yourself too hard, do you understand the consequences of your actions?

The time and energy we put into doing work for others is often so much greater than the time we spend on understanding who we are, what we need, and how to help ourselves to be better people.

Being self-aware takes effort, time, and work. We need to take the time to reflect on how we act and be mindful of how we affect others within our family and in the workplace.

When you grow up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional home, needs are assessed differently. Chaos, frustration, money problems, and lack of trust can tear apart families as each member tries to survive a complicated and difficult environment.

The scars that we bear from that time stay with us throughout our lives, and it’s how we are aware of our strengths and weaknesses that will help us better understand where we are headed.

Do we numb ourselves to avoid pain? Or do we lash out to put on a strong defense? When we are confronted with a problem, how do we react?

Being self-aware and embracing the entirety of who we are (the good and the quirks), is not an easy task.

We can easily ignore problems in our lives and simply pretend that everything is okay.

But what if we take the more challenging route and embrace self-awareness? What if we accept that we’re willing to turn the TV off, look at ourselves in the mirror, and admit that we’re not perfect? We have faults, but we are still exactly who we need to be right now. The time and energy we put into learning who we are becomes the cornerstone of our future.

We are what we see.

For today, I invite you to take a step back and look at your life. When you lose patience and make a mistake, how do you react and what can you learn about yourself?

Take this self-knowledge and use it to strengthen your understanding of who you are and to build up your self-esteem.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.