In this Podcast, Enric Corbera talk about the importance of self-awareness with the aim of regaining the coherence that allows us to connect our thoughts, emotions and behaviors, to solve our conflicts in a proactive and healthy way.
There is a general belief that for we need to achieve certain things and achieve certain goals, such as a university degree, a body image, a car, a house, a good job, a partner, children, etc.
However, many of us have experienced something really frustrating: when we are reaching those goals, we discover that we continue to feel incompletewe are missing something that we do not know what it is, and we believe that this “something” is in the achievement of another goal.
This happens because the initial approach is wrong. fulfillment and happiness They are not at the end of the road, but they are the result of the attitude with which we advance in lifeand this way of being and being is shaped through self-knowledge.
In this article we explain what self-knowledge is, how to develop this capacity and why it is key to guiding your life in the direction you want.
In this video, taken from one of Enric Corbera explains the ability we have to enter the “deep cave” of our psyche and increase our self-awareness.
Self-knowledge: what it is, definition and concept
To understand what self-knowledge consists of, we must first keep in mind that everything is in constant transformation, including ourselves.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that “No man can bathe in the same river twice, because neither the man nor the water will be the same” to explain the dynamism of life.
Discover who we are at all times
Knowing oneself, therefore, is not something that we achieve in a definitive way, but rather It is a constant and dynamic process through which we discover and develop ourselves..
At each stage of life we have different capacities, needs, fears, desires, etc. We are not the same and we do not experience what happens to us in the same way.
For example, if we think about how a person reacts when they are alone in an unfamiliar place with strangers, we realize that at five years old they may feel afraid, at twelve they may feel insecure, at twenty-five they may be curious about environment and, at forty, it can be a neutral experience.
Consequently, self-knowledge is a process that consists of discovering parts of oneself in a sincere, honest and realistic way at every moment of life, and this capacity that we all have is developed through .
Self-discover ourselves to recognize who we are
When we are aware of our feelings, emotions, thoughts and we can identify how our internal state influences our decisions and actions at a given moment.
Is self-awareness – self-awareness It allows us to manage our emotional states, modify our way of thinking and see which aspects of our own empower us and which ones we want to change to adapt to current circumstances and show our best version.
As Eric Hoffer said: “In times of change, those who are open to learning will own the future, while those who think they know it all will be well equipped for a world that no longer exists.”
For this reason, he is a fundamental part of the emotional intelligence forks key to .
Self-knowledge, therefore, is not a destination, but rather It is a way of experiencing life, moment by moment, characterized by responsibility, open-mindedness and a willingness to learn and change.
Knowing yourself: the key to personal development
Everyone has the objective and the intention of evolving, reaching new goals and continuing to grow in life, however not everyone succeeds, or fails to do so every time they set out to do so.
This happens because in any process of evolution and change self-knowledge must be present, since we cannot change what we do not know.
If we don’t know who we are, what we need and what we really want, we can’t transform and grow.
As well as to be able to reach a physical destination The first step is to know where we are right now.In order to move forward in life, we must know where we are starting from and also where we want to go.
This is applicable to every moment in which we feel that we need and develop new facets of ourselves.
What prevents us from deepening our self-knowledge?
Many times, despite wanting to make changes, we resist looking within and feel blocked. At this time we must observe in what way are we self-sabotaging.
One of the main reasons people don’t want to see what’s going on inside them is that still maintain a system of thought that is based on .
Thus, a secondary benefit of not looking within is that they can continue to blame others or something external for their misfortune, avoiding taking responsibility.
In this way, they are giving up their power and placing themselves in a victimizing position from which they can do nothing to improve their lives.
Self-discovery means giving up certain advantages
Self-awareness is a maturational process that allows us to take charge of what happens to us, enabling us to direct our lives in the direction we really want, instead of letting ourselves be carried away. This implies get out of a childish state that has many advantagessuch as caring for and supporting others and shirking responsibilities.
In addition, another difficulty that can delay our personal development is that self-knowledge It is a path in which there are very uncomfortable moments that we resist experiencing.
That is why we deceive ourselves, to the point of putting up a psychic barrier that prevents us from see all our facets and discover our true potential.
Who wouldn’t want to meet to develop their self-esteem and personality?
No one would voluntarily give up directing their own life freely and happily, however we resist ay to silence the noise of our mind and listen to ourselves, for fear of what we may find.
The Italian-Argentine poet Antonio Porchia wrote:
“Sometimes at night, I turn on the light so I don’t see my own darkness.”
Paradoxically, the fear of our darkness prevents us from seeing our own light. For this reason, to discover our potential, we must be willing to look at ourselves and recognize ourselves in our lights and in our shadows.
Keys to develop self-awareness
As we have seen, self-knowledge consists of gradually discovering in every moment of life. This ability to discover ourselves and manifest our potential develops through introspection.
To begin our path of self-discovery we must take into account the following premises:
assume our responsibility
Recognize that what we see outside is a reflection of who we are. It is about carrying out a process of introspection based on the consciousness of unity that allows us to understand that everything that makes up our realitywhat we perceive, what we interpret and our way of living it is a reflection of the information that each and every one of us unconsciously carries.
As he said: “Until the unconscious becomes conscious, the subconscious will continue to run your life, and you will call it destiny
Stop pointing others as responsible for what happens to us
Stopping looking for blame, justifications and explanations outside of ourselves allows us to move from a dual focus to a unity consciousness, performing an act of observation through which we can experientially understand that what we have in front of us works like a mirror.
Observe one’s own life with objectivity, honesty and a critical spirit
Usually it is in in which we feel the impulse or the need to connect with ourselves. In these situations, what will allow us to increase our self-knowledge is to be able to differentiate what is happening objectively from what we are perceiving.
see clearly that our perception is always an interpretationbased on our learning, judgments, needs and beliefs, is what will allow us to see all these own aspects that were previously hidden in order to transform them.
This is what we call increasing our level of through a self inquiry. When this personal work becomes a habit, we are discovering ourselves, through the difficulties we experienceas we get rid of the unconscious limitations that conditioned our lives, in other words, the learned.
The result of self-inquiry is always a new understanding ourselves and our circumstances, present and past, which allows us to overcome limitations, develop capacities and transform our lives from within. This transformation is the only one possible and is the key to boosting our development and achieving emotional well-being..
If you liked it, rate the article ♥, share and comment what you feel. We read you.