The core of the work I do with my clients is guiding them to develop self-awareness.  The definition of which is a “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires”.  Self-awareness is truly knowing yourself, inside and out, for better or worse, and it is a process of exploring your thoughts, feelings, reactions and past experiences.  It is something that most people never take the time to fully explore, but once you do, you will realize it is a true super power.

I like to describe the experience of self-awareness as being like a palm tree.  You feel firmly rooted and grounded, but can sway and bend with life’s windy days and storms, without breaking or being swept away.  Here are some ways that being self-aware will make you feel like you are a superhero.

You are bulletproof.  Other people’s words, accusations and criticisms roll right past you, rather than deeply affect you, throwing you off balance.  You know who you are and are confident in that, so you are less likely to feel insecure by what others say.  However, you are also open to consider and explore their thoughts and feedback that could be helpful, which ensures you are always growing and evolving as a human.

You can fly.  You feel much more capable of getting exactly what you want, without sabotaging yourself.  Whether it’s a healthy relationship, being financially secure or attaining your dream job, you are aware of ways you might be blocking yourself from living to your full potential.  Many of us don’t realize how much past experiences and ingrained ways of thinking affect us on a daily basis.  Openly looking at and processing this frees you from blocks and allows you to truly soar.

You can read minds.  Knowing yourself inside and out creates the power to understand others much more clearly.  This means you are not easily pulled into dramatic situations.  You can listen to what others are saying with empathy and compassion versus defensiveness and anger.  This leads to relationships that are more authentic, healthy and fulfilling, rather than leaving you feeling pulled into a cloud of chaos, from which it feels like there is no escape.

You have superhuman strength.  You are able to gracefully pivot through a myriad of emotions at once.  One of the hardest things we as humans deal with is conflicting emotions, whether they are in regards to people in our lives or situations we experience.  Learning to navigate positive and negative emotions at once, rather than being pulled into one realm or another is truly dealing with reality, rather than dodging it. This allows us to make difficult decisions decisively instead of denying a part of ourselves.

You have the power of invisability.  This means that you truly value yourself and no one can make you doubt that.  You’ve given up people pleasing, care taking and sacrificing yourself to make others feel good.  That never works anyway, and you have learned it’s better to stay true to yourself than be zapped by others in order for them to feel good and powerful.  The people in your life are responsible to deal with their own challenges, while you remain incognito, dealing with your part of the relationship, rather than fixing and covering up theirs.

Self-awareness is a freeing and empowering part of the human experience and once discovered allows you to live the life you truly want.  If you are ready to develop your superpower, contact me at www.therapywithstephanie.com or 424-302-8227

Author: Stephanie Macadaan

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I love working with couples and individuals to find strength, growth and empowerment through their struggles and challenges.

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