To start this essay, let me give a brief summary of the topic to be discussed. I shall start with some definition of terms to set the scope of my discussion. I will mention four ideas however I shall be focusing more on self-awareness because I believe that this is the fundamental concept upon which the rest of the ideas stem. Firstly, let me begin with self awareness which is defined as the capacity to perceive one’s strength, capabilities and limitations; in other words: insight. Secondly, we have self concept which involves multi-dimensional facets of oneself. One’s past, present and foreseeable future as well as how a person interacts with the people around him/her shapes one’s self concept. Next, we have self-esteem which is roughly the amount of pride one invests in oneself. Lastly we have self-disclosure which is both the conscious and subconscious act of revealing oneself to others. This may include but not limited to thoughts, feelings, aspirations, goals, fears and dreams as well as one’s personal preferences.
I believe that self awareness, self concept, self-esteem and disclosure are easily defined concepts. All of these boil down to knowing, understanding and accepting oneself. And when we talk about these things, the questions “why” and “how” often comes to mind. First, why do we need to know ourselves? The answer is pretty obvious. As you develop self awareness, establish self-concept, grow self-esteem and begin self-disclosure you are able to make changes in the thoughts and interpretations you make in your mind. Changing the interpretations in your mind allows you to change your emotions. By accepting and understanding our thoughts and interpretation processes, we will have a clearer picture of what we want to achieve. And this will undoubtedly help in making wise and sound decisions in our relationships and career. All of these aspects of self are cultivated through reflections, studies and interactions with other people as well as experiencing new things.
“Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as being able to remake ourselves.” This was a quote by Gandhi. Like I mentioned earlier, it is imperative that a person has an idea of who he is, what he wants and what he can do in order to contribute to the growth of his career and relationships with others. The most common problem that arises from lack of development of one or more of these traits is failure in work and relationships. A person unaware is like a freshwater guppy thrown into the ocean: he will not survive. If he did, he would feel out of element or more often than not unfulfilled.
The path to self awareness is not as easy as it sounds. It is often difficult to think about ourselves objectively. How we see ourselves and how others see us may be two entirely different things. There are ways in which we can develop self-awareness but I believe that confiding in a person whom we trust and encounter everyday can be a better way to help view ourselves objectively. By sharing our ideas and feelings and looking at them from someone else’s point of view, we can more or less gauge ourselves. We can also develop self awareness by sampling new experiences. We often discover new things about ourselves when we're in unusual situations, or facing new challenges. Our reactions or responses to new environments, new people, or new demands can help us understand how we deal with some of the more familiar aspects of our lives. However, rather than waiting for new experiences to arrive, it can be really valuable to look for them proactively. We can do this for ourselves by taking different types of vacations, or experimenting with new hobbies.
With high levels of self-awareness, we can find the right direction in life and build long and lasting relationships with others. If we are willing to be self-aware we can empower ourselves and transform our relationships and our lives in the process.