What if the way you looked at yourself wasn’t accurate? What if you were really socially awkward? Or what if you were better than you gave yourself credit?
There is one word that will help you answer those questions. The word is so painful that few people will do the work that this word requires. This word demands that you learn the answer to those questions and many others that we would rather not explore. We would much rather go through life blind but that leads us to assume it’s someone else’s fault for why we aren’t happy, or why we don’t like our job, or struggle with relationships. The truth is that we are only being held back by ourselves.
What is this painful word? SELF-AWARENESS. Instantly when you saw the word you knew it was true. You know people that would be in a different place in life if they had more self-awareness. They would be more successful and enjoy better relationships. You probably know people that what they complain about the most are things they really cause. Maybe you’ve even sat in on an interview and thought they would be a good fit…but then they keep talking, not aware that they were losing the position the more they keep talking.
We’ve all seen people who have been held back or sabotaged their own future and success because they lacked crucial self-awareness.
-The guy who is way too chatty. He thinks he is being friendly, but other people view it as laziness…getting out of work….or being self-absorbed.
-The guy who is always dogging himself. He is insecure, doesn’t feel like he can do anything right, and is constantly looking for affirmation.
-The girl who is always posting inappropriate pictures of herself. She is craving for someone to prop up her self-esteem.
-The person who is always complaining. Everyone avoids them because they can only handle so much doom and gloom.
-The person who seems to attract drama and be overly dramatic about everything.
Have you ever thought…I wish I could tell them this 1 thing…or I wish SOMEONE would tell them this 1 thing…then their life would be totally different. It’s obvious to everyone but that person. Everyone clearly sees it but they seem to be clueless. Why? They lack self-awareness. They haven’t done the hard work of examining their strengths and weaknesses and they become their own worst enemies. It isn’t their boss, or their lack of education, or talents, or financial situation that’s the true problem. It’s their blindness to how others perceive their actions. Until they gain more self-awareness and make changes in response to that awareness they will continue to self-destruct when success is within their reach. They possess great potential but their lack of self-awareness is holding them back.
Chances are a name or two popped into your mind, but don’t miss this…It’s easy to see this in others, but so hard to see it in ourselves. We have the ability to size up everybody in the world but ourselves. Which leads me to the first question…”What if the way you viewed yourself wasn’t accurate?”
No one sees themselves perfectly. We all have blindspots. It’s a process. So how do we become more self-aware? That’s for tomorrow!
For now I want you to wrestle with the possibility that you have some blind spots. If you adopt a philosophy of…”Well that’s the way I am–take it or leave it!”…most people will go with the latter. You don’t have to be left behind. Don’t be your own worst enemy. Embrace the hard work. If you do, some dramatic things might just happen…you finally find a date that lasts, your marriage improves dramatically, you close more deals, you get that promotion, your kids want to spend time with you. Self-awareness isn’t affecting just one area. You bring yourself wherever you go. Only you can do this hard work because people are too nice to tell you the truth.
