Self-Awareness is Key

Life is a process of self-discovery. One thing that is necessary for you to grow as a person is your ability to recognize who you are as a person, how you are as a person, and why you are the way you are. When you reach new heights within yourself, you can reach new heights in your life. The key to this is self-awareness. 

1. Questions to Enhance Self-Awareness

Who are you? What do you like? What do you find repulsive? What makes you angry? What drives your motivation? Who brings out the best in you? Who does the opposite? What disappoints you? Why did you react this way when this person did this to you? When do you feel happiest? Why did you do that thing you swore you would never do again? Why do you say sorry when you’re not at fault? Why didn’t you say sorry when you were wrong? The answers to these questions help us understand ourselves better. When we understand ourselves, we can live better with ourselves. When we can live better with ourselves, we can live better with others. Life is about forging and sustaining relationships. The quality of our relationships partly determines our happiness, and our happiness depends on how we treat ourselves personally. If more of the people I interact with contribute to happiness in my life, I will live a happy life. If more people contribute to negativity, I will live an unhappy life. To forge blissful and fruitful relationships, happiness must start within ourselves.

Self-awareness is how you align your thoughts and behaviors with your own personal set of rules. Everyone has a personal set of rules they live by, whether they consciously created them or not. Some people enjoy talking about others in their absence, so they love gossip, whether they realize it or not. Some people think lying is absolutely unnecessary under any circumstance, so they always tell the truth and may have more honest and trustworthy friendships, even if they don't realize it. Aligning what you believe with how you behave creates a stronger sense of self. This is being consistent with yourself. When you are consistent with yourself, it is easy to identify your behaviors. Have you ever met someone who is unpredictable? One moment they seem just peachy, and in the next instant, they blow up in a fit of rage. Or someone who swears they will never date a certain person again, but they break their promise and go back to the same person or date someone just like them? This person is not consistent with themselves. Consistently following the beliefs you hold inside with the actions you perform in your everyday life will make it easier to continue behaviors that support you and cut behaviors that harm you.

2. How Introspection Leads to Self-Awareness

Knowing the reason why you do something can help you magnify good behaviors or minimize bad ones. I remember growing up, there were times when I would get so mad and frustrated that I would lash out in ugly ways toward my immediate family members. As I grew older, I realized this was because I often felt sad and alone in my household. Now, whenever I feel sad and alone, I know that I have the capability to reach an ugly place, and I can stop myself from getting there because I am aware of myself and my behaviors.

Reaching a place of self-awareness requires introspection, or in other words, going deep inside yourself. Reflecting on your thoughts and behaviors can help you clearly see what kind of person you are. Learning about yourself is a lifelong process, and in that process, your self-awareness will produce relationships that reflect your self-awareness.

3. Self-Awareness Impact on Relationships

"Relationship" is a broad term. You can have different kinds of relationships. There are work or school relationships where we collaborate and assist each other within the organization. There are familial relationships where we treat each other with a certain kind of love and undying obligation. There are marital or intimate relationships where we engage physically, emotionally, and romantically in ways we would never do in any other relationship. There are surface relationships that we may form with the same woman who rings you up at the grocery store and has been there for 10 years, or with your doctor, who you have seen for as long as you can remember.

Life cannot be lived alone. Humans are designed to form groups and live, eat, play, work, and commingle with one another. It’s a necessary part of our evolutionary development and biological wiring. It is literally how societies and cultures are established. So, grow yourself by starting with YOU first. Pay attention to what you think and how you behave. Pay attention to how you interact with different people. Pay attention to how you feel in different situations. Start paying attention to yourself! To reach new heights, you must go the distance within yourself. You will never be done discovering yourself. Don’t be ready to cross a finish line—there is none, so enjoy the run