SELF-MATTERS
As mentioned in our July
newsletter in order to live
a life of purpose it is
essential that we develop a
high level of self awareness
as well as healthy self
esteem. Today I'd like to
focus on the area of self
awareness.
You might ask: 'What
makes self awareness such an
important deal?'
Before I offer my thoughts
on this significant topic,
let me ask you to take a
moment to identify the
following for yourself:
* What are the feelings I am
experiencing right now? Do I
feel happy, sad, anxious,
excited, fearful, joyful,
stressed.......?
* Why am I feeling this way?
* Am I enjoying feeling this
way or would I rather feel
differently?
* How can I influence the
way I am feeling right now?
* Why did I react the way I
did the last time someone
complimented me?
* Why did I react the way I
did the last time somene
offended me?
* Why do others respond to
me the way they do?
* Do I enjoy the way they
react/respond to me?
* I not, what do I need to
do for this to change?
How did you go answering
these questions? You may
have found it quite easy or
perhaps rather difficult. If
answering the questions
didn't present too much of a
challenge for you, you can
give yourself a 'tick' in
the self awareness box.
Self awareness is as
important to a
purpose-directed life as
laying a solid foundation is
to building a house. The
more solid the foundation
the more elegant, intricate,
sturdy and substantial the
house you can build.
The higher your level of
self awareness the better
you understand what makes
YOU tick. The better you
understand your SELF the the
easier it becomes to relate
to others. The easier it is
to relate to others the more
comfortable you will feel
about your 'fit' in this
world.
HOW DO WE BECOME MORE SELF
AWARE?
Increasing our level of self
awareness requires conscious
exploration of who we are.
Following are some useful
questions that assist
getting started with this
process:
* What are the things I
really value?
* What do I believe?
* Who are the most important
people in my life?
* What do I love about my
life?
* What are the things I am
good at?
* What are the things I
would like to be good at?
* What are my strengths?
* Where does my energy come
from?
* How important are my
possessions to me?
* How healthy am I -
physically, emotionally,
spiriritually?
These are by no means all
the questions we can ask to
get to know our SELF better
but they should be enough to
get you started. If you
would like to take this very
valuable self exploration
process a step further, I
would recommend the e-book
30 DAYS OF INCREDIBLE
AWARENESS. For more
information
click here
WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF
GREATER SELF AWARENESS?
A high level of self
awareness helps in a variety
of ways:
1. Self awareness helps
us know who we are.
People who have a good sense
of who they are feel
comfortable in their skin.
They don't:
* Spend their lives seeking
someone else's approval.
* Consume their energy with
continual self-doubt.
* Shrink in fear from
challenges or opportunities.
* Waste their lives striving
to be (like) someone else.
* Run themselves down
physically (not taking care
of their health),
emotionally (how they think,
feel and speak of
themselves) or spiritually
(how they relate to their
higher power).
They do:
Approve of themselves
- not in an arrogant 'I am
the greatest gift to the
world' kind of way, but in
the knowledge that they
(like all other human
beings) have good points as
well as not so good points,
have unique talents and
gifts as well as
shortcomings, have a purpose
in the world that only they
can fulfill.
Accept themselves -
warts and all in the
recognition that life is a
progressive journey and one
of the greatest privileges
we have as human beings is
the ability to change.
Like themselves -
most of the time.
It's important to recognise
that increasing one's self-
awareness is not a selfish
pursuit as ONLY people who
approve of themselves,
accept themselves, respect
themselves and like
themselves can approve of,
accept, respect, like and
love others.
The greater our level of
self-awareness becomes the
more our other-awareness
grows and our ability to
love others increases. The
greater awareness we have of
our own fragility,
vulnerability, temptations,
fears, insecurities,
shortcomings, humanness and
failings, the easier it
becomes to understand, cease
to judge and instead
empathise with others.
Mother Theresa in her
amazing wisdom coined the
phrase: 'If you judge
people, you have no time to
love them.' I remember a
quote (but can't remember
who it is by) that says:
"A life without love is a
life not worth living."
So, have I convinced you of
the importance of self
awareness and that its
impact is not only
all-important to our SELVES
but how we relate to others
in this world?
How would it be if we spent
each day of this month
focusing on answering one of
the questions I posed
earlier? If we determined to
do this just for a few
weeks, our level of
self-awareness and with it
our capacity to love
ourselves and love others
would rise enormously.
Will you accept the
challenge?
|
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Finding
your purpose - loving and
living it
September 23rd & 24th
Click here for information
NEW
BOOKLETS AVAILABLE NOW - in
hardcover and e-book format:
* Second Families - Second
Chances
* You and Your Stepchildren
BRAND NEW RELEASE
* The Ex-Factor
For purchase info
click here
ExecUtips
MANAGING IN TIMES OF CHANGE
- to read
click here
SELF AWARENESS SERIES -
ANGER - to read
click here
**********************
FRESHEN UP - An 8 step power
plan - motivate yourself to
brilliance
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30 DAYS OF INCREDIBLE
AWARENESS
Click Here
WORDS OF WISDOM
I have found that the
greatest help in meeting any
problem with decency and
self respect and whatever
courage is demanded, is to
know wehre you yourself
stand. That is, to have in
words what you believe and
are acting from. -- William
Faulkner (1897-1962)
American Writer
*****************
There is only one real
failure in life that is
possible, and that is, not
to be true to the best one
knows.-- John Farrar (1945)
Austrailian Composer
*****************
Act like the person you want
to become. For as Goethe,
the German philosopher, once
wrote, "Before you can do
something, you first must be
something.- Bob Proctor
****************
"We can let circumstances
rule us, or we can take
charge and rule our lives
from within.- Earl
Nightingale (1921-1989,
Philosopher)
****************
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CONTACT DETAILS:
Sonja Ridden
331 Mona Vale Road
Terrey Hills NSW 2084
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