👁 INTENTION
Today, let's bring self-awareness to our strengths and weaknesses so that we can skillfully navigate the challenges ahead.
💬 QUOTE
“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”
– Abraham Maslow
🪄 AFFIRMATION
I am self-aware because my capacity to confidently charge forward relies solely on my ability to know who I am, and who I want to be. Through self-awareness, I leverage my strengths and accept my weaknesses. This deeper understanding helps me mindfully manage emotional reactions and skillfully navigate challenging situations.
📜 POEM
In the depths of my being,
a compass resides,
guiding me through
life's uncertain tides.
Each weakness I find
a lesson for heart & mind
Each strength I align
to serve with love enshrined.
🧘 MEDITATION
In this guided meditation, Gia shows us a powerful technique to get to know ourselves on a very deep level.
📿 MANTRA
Know yourself to own yourself.
आत्मनः स्वामित्वं कर्तुं आत्मानं ज्ञातव्यम्।
🦁 MICRO ACT OF BRAVERY
Today, ask a friend for constructive feedback on your top strengths and weaknesses.
Before talking to them, say the following to yourself to prime yourself for honest feedback: “I know there are blind spots in my thinking patterns and behaviors. So I will openly ask someone who understands me; whom I respect; and will tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. I will cherish honest, outside perspectives because they show me invaluable insight into who I am.”
🧬 SCIENCE
So why would we want to be self-aware anyway?
It can be tempting to avoid ourselves at times, especially when we’re feeling down. Our first instinct when we feel discomfort is to avoid it.
So many popular forms of entertainment in the world are aimed specifically at turning off the mind and shutting out the emotions: TV, movies, sports, novels, alcohol, drugs, sex, social media, and so much more.
We’ve become so accustomed to tuning out.
The secret to our happiness lies in tuning in.
Researchers say that emotional avoidance is one of the main causes for psychological problems and that feeling bad is actually a good thing.
We can only avoid thoughts and feelings for so long until we explode at inappropriate times or suffer endlessly from insomnia and anxiety because we are denying so much of ourselves on a daily basis.
When we allow our thoughts and feelings to rise to the surface, we actually release the power that they hold over us. Blocking out and denying feelings causes them to build and grow beneath the surface until we are finally made aware of them. If we can just bring awareness to them as they arise, we save ourselves a lot of wasted energy and stress. The sooner we process our thoughts and feels, the sooner we can find inner peace.
So self-awareness has many mental and emotional benefits.
Self-awareness has lots of physical benefits, as well.
By getting to know our bodies, we can detect imbalances early on and may save ourselves from diseases or illnesses that could develop if we ignored them.
Additionally, self-awareness helps us boost our health and immunity by discovering what foods and activities best suit our bodies.
Spiritually, self-awareness helps us find meaning in our lives and helps us discover our highest purpose.
By getting to know ourselves on a deep level, we discover who we truly are: our deepest desires and wishes. This is the guiding force that gives us clarity and direction in life. Without this inner awareness, we may feel lost, stuck, or frustrated with trying to please others but not knowing what it is that truly pleases us.
Self-awareness brings us true freedom because it empowers us to be who we are instead of fitting in with the crowd.
Meditation is one of the most helpful tools for cultivating self-awareness, as we delve into our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations to discover what’s there.
📓 JOURNAL PROMPT
Ask yourself, “What are some common outside perspectives of my strengths and weaknesses?”
Make a list of common things you've noticed others have said about you.
🙌 KUDOS
Nice work! You've completed Day 3 of 30 Days of Bravery and are a braver being because of it!
Take a moment to share some key takeaways from today's session with the community in our Activity Feed!
✨ 👭 ✨
We journey better when we journey together.