A-Okay

For the time being I will be re-posting some previous topics - I hope they will inspire you and that you will share the ones you enjoy. Thanks for reading! 

Today’s Word is Awareness

“To become different from what we are we must have some awareness of what we are.” – Eric Hoffer

So here we go! Awareness is the first word and I have to say, its place at the beginning is perfect and rather significant. Awareness means to have knowledge of, to be informed. Self-awareness is the ability to understand one’s own motivations, needs, values and limitations. What guides your choices and behaviors? What is working? What isn’t working? Changing anything requires self- awareness and then the courage to take responsibility for your own life. Sounds simple enough, but how many times have you witnessed someone else struggling, making what seems to be glaringly obvious mistakes? Why can you see other’s issues so easily but fail to spot the roadblocks in your own life? Self-awareness is a skill and proficiency requires practice. You can get better and better at tuning in and noticing.

I suggest using the process I call, MEE!

Mindfulness: What is happening in the here and now? This is mindfulness, an active state whereby you centre your attention on the thoughts, feelings, and sensations you are experiencing in the moment. This is where information can be found. One avenue to greater self-awareness is to pay attention to where discomfort is apparent in your life. Pain and discomfort is your friend. It is a warning system – it is trying to bring your awareness to where something in your life – could be your health, your relationships, and/or your career needs your attention. Avoid turning these messages off by sedating the discomfort; overeating, sleeping, taking drugs or drinking. These avoidance tactics only allow you to stay in denial, to avoid the message in the moment and it is within your habitual responses where the root of the discomfort can be sourced. Become still and ask the discomfort what it is trying to show you and then listen. The answer will come as soon as you give it a voice. One way to claim the present moment and to encourage mindfulness is to meditate. There are many methods of meditation; however the basic premise is to still your mind, to let thoughts and feelings flow and to simply observe, not judge what appears. Five minutes a day of calm, focusing on your breath, for example, can be a great way to live in the moment and become mindful.

Evaluate: Now that you are noticing patterns, habits and discomfort, you can more easily ask yourself questions about the alternative to your current choices. What do you want to be different, what is and isn’t working, what repeat mistakes and challenges are you experiencing? If you could change one thing what would it be? Are you seeing the same challenges and issues repeatedly in your experiences? How are you contributing to this outcome? Be willing to ask yourself questions or hire a life coach who can create a safe space and has an arsenal of excellent questions and tools which can open the door to a new way of looking at your situation. Trusted friends or family members can also be helpful.

Express: Share your feelings and thoughts about what you are finding to a friend, in your journal or to a life coach. This goes a long way to moving you forward. You will start to see that you are not weak or strange. That each of us has beliefs that create challenges or patterns of behavior that get in the way of happiness and success. You will feel less alone and may find solutions or tools that were previously unknown to you. You will begin to challenge your old way of operating and attain the support you need to move forward.

Know that just because it has always been one way, doesn’t mean it has to remain so. Start by becoming aware and then accept where you are at. This is the sweet spot, the perfect place to begin.

Today Ask Yourself:

Where in my life am I experiencing discomfort?

What habits do I use to tune out my self-awareness?

How could my life change for the better if I listened to my self-awareness?

If you would like more information on creating self-awareness or Life Coaching in general please visit my website at, http://www.onpurposelifecoach.com/.