It's All About Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness  is, perhaps, one of the most intriguing aspects of life, in my opinion, at least.

Think about it, why are you, you? It’s easy to explain but hard to comprehend, but think about it…

• You’re not me who is currently writing this, right?
• You’re not your friend who has been there for you since the 4th grade, right?
• You’re not your neighbor who may or may not be too loud, right?

Right! In this time, in this realm of existence, there is only one you. No one else can perfectly mimic your smile, your laugh, your strengths, your desires or your feelings. You’re one of a kind, just as I am, just as you are. You bring something to this life that no other person can bring. Don't let yourself get swallowed up by thoughts of self-resentment; all that does is create an inhibitor on your personality which, ultimately, causes you to become your own worst enemy.

Never Give In To What Others Want to Make of You

It‘s unfortunate, but many people respond negatively to difference  I’ve learned that most people have become indoctrinated to the third party perspective of what is viewed as, “normal.” In other words, people feel safe living and interacting with things they’re used to. Just like we see right and wrong, many people are brought up as either seeing things as “normal” or “weird.” Let’s take racism for instance, in some parts of the world, the parents instill, within their child, what they themselves learned as inferior and superior. That child then grows up with the same set of backwards compatibility their parents retained. They don’t question it because it is already ingrained into their minds… like an instinct, only learned, in this case. Ahehe, sorry if I’m losing you… the point I’m trying to make is to not let others push you into becoming just like them. That only degrades your own unique individuality.

Never sacrifice your own individuality for the sake of  “fitting in” with a group whose hearts and minds are already closed to the outside. You're unique, so take pride in it, refrain from holding yourself back.  Don’t lose who you really are.

Of course, assuming you’re not in the middle of others trying to change you into themselves, change does start with you. What I don’t want you to do is decide you want to be like someone else, that’s the last thing you want to do. Sure, you may want to try to become more assertive like George, and maybe even a little more outgoing like your friend Sally. What I don’t want to you to do is try to, essentially, become their clone. That just degrades your own unique value.

Never Classify Yourself, It Just Degrades Your Own Individuality

We all have our style. Each of us may have the same emotions from time to time, but the way in which we show them couldn’t be more diverse. That’s what I want you to strive to do, improve yourself in your own way, not by copying,. Bring out the best in yourself that nobody else can even try to copy. That just leaves the question of, “How do you view yourself?”

We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, don’t feel trapped in knowing only what you can not do. I mean, I’m not perfect, there are still so many things I wish I could be better at and the same can be said for anyone. So, ask yourself…“What are my underlying strengths?” Personally, when it comes to me, I’m a very good writer. Of course, that’s just an opinion of mine, but throughout life, I’ve realized that my writing style is very different, maybe you’ve noticed, but, yeah. Currently, I’m working on a script for a video game I want to make in the future. I’ve always had a knack for creative writing. One of my own strengths. What are yours? Remember this and remember it well, if you focus on what you can NOT do, you're only stopping yourself from realizaing your own hidden strengths. Life is a balance of Yin and Yang. Don’t feel like you have to be perfect. I’m not, you’re not, no one is. And that’s the truth. Why do I say that? Well, there’s this rule I live by; to sum it up with a few examples…

“Everyone has their own opinion. What is ugly to one person is beautiful to another.” - Matthew

Remember that, like I said, we’re all different. We all have our own preferences. Don’t feel like the world sees you in black and white. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

“IQ is just an illusion.”

Do you know how many types of “Intelligence” there are? Countless.

Do you know what can’t be measured? Wisdom.

There are many different interpretations of wisdom, but to me, wisdom is the gaining and applying of knowledge from prior mistakes made by yourself or by observing others‘. Don’t get me wrong, you can make 1,000 mistakes a day, it doesn’t mean you’ll have the insight of a Saint. It’s only when you can identify the lessons behind the mistake can you truly grow. And so I say, who cares if you don’t know the four types of matter, or the result of the Revolutionary War. On that note, if I were to go on Cash Cab, or any other gameshow with trivia questions. I KNOW for a fact I’d lose. Does that sadden me? Not one bit.

Intelligence, that’s not what I value, and neither should you. In my opinion, the only thing that truly matters is wisdom; the ability to guide others through this great maze of life’s trials/tribulations. Do you get what I’m saying? No matter what you think you’re bad at, in the end, it shouldn’t really matter to you. Embrace your strengths and weaknesses together. Imperfection only makes us more human, it allows us to grow and change. A never-ending journey. At least, that’s how I see it.  That said, I’m going to sum this up with a Chinese Proverb because I find them so rewardingly delicious.

“The Gem can not be Polished without Friction, not a man nor woman perfected without trials.”

Viewing Your Own Shortcomings Will Eventually Create Powerful Voids

You see, when you choose to view your own weaknesses as permanent flaws of your character, you may end up creating powerful voids, the topic of the next self-growth article. See you there!