Or, you might say “oh for the love of Pete, why did I waste the last 20 years of my life collecting Bundt pans!”
And,
come to find out, you don’t even like Bundt cake!
Of
course, this is just a silly way to say that sometimes it takes years to become
more self-aware of what makes you tick. That doesn’t mean those years are
wasted figuring it out.
You
may finally see it clearly one day when you realize that Bundt pans really
aren’t your thing. On the other hand, you notice you’re a helluva
collector. The experience and knowledge you’ve gained over the years as a
collector has great value.
What is the definition of self-awareness, anyway? According to Oxford Dictionaries, It's the conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives and desires.
Now,
you just need to shift gears and take inventory of what’s really important or
purposeful to you.
~ How does your personality play a part in your choices or behavior?'
~ What past mistakes or experiences don’t work well for you and how can you change them?
~ What things could you improve on? Be straight up honest with yourself.
~ Do you make excuses for yourself or put blame on others?
~ How does your personality play a part in your choices or behavior?'
~ What past mistakes or experiences don’t work well for you and how can you change them?
~ What things could you improve on? Be straight up honest with yourself.
~ Do you make excuses for yourself or put blame on others?
Reflecting
on past mistakes, you may notice you’re the common denominator. This is where self-awareness
can really help to change things up. Check out this article Why Self-Awareness Is the Secret Weapon for Habit Change.
Maybe you need to get rid of those damn Bundt pans!!
You
know YOU more than anybody, so be truthful to yourself - all the good, the bad
and the ugly.
Sure,
you can fake it until you make it...only if it’s for the right reasons.
Sometimes taking risks or “faking it” to better yourself or get the outcome you
want is the way to go.
Going
through my own checklist helped me realize that unrealistic expectations, lack
of awareness and bottling things up wasn’t always serving me
favorably. I've realized I can be an intuitive and sometimes oversensitive person, which can be a blessing or a curse in certain situations.
Recognizing
or understanding why you felt the need to collect Bundt pans in the first place
is a direction to self-awareness.
Alright
enough with the Bundt pan analogy! 😁 I’m sure we all want to attain
purpose and a meaningful life.
Is
this too deep to think about right now?
You
might be asking...”Laurie are you going through a midlife crisis? Is your brain feeling a little woozy because your pants are too tight?”
No
shame here...it’s probably both!
Getting
older does make you more attuned to self-awareness. You reflect back on the
years and realize you haven’t always honored your truths. You didn’t seek out
the why’s and why not’s.
I
think this topic is something we all think about, but don’t necessarily talk in depth or do anything about it. I’ve been wanting to share this Ted Talk video, because I do think happiness,
meaning and purpose is something we all desire.
Here
is a Ted Talk by Emily Esfahani Smith: There’s more to life than being happy.
She
explains in her speech the four pillars to meaning and happiness.
Belonging, Purpose, Transcendence and, be sure to listen to the fourth pillar, which is Storytelling - “The story you tell yourself about yourself. Creating a narrative from the events of your life brings clarity. It helps you understand how you became you. We are the authors of our stories and we can change the way we’re telling them.”
Belonging, Purpose, Transcendence and, be sure to listen to the fourth pillar, which is Storytelling - “The story you tell yourself about yourself. Creating a narrative from the events of your life brings clarity. It helps you understand how you became you. We are the authors of our stories and we can change the way we’re telling them.”
There’s more thoughtful and interesting nuggets she shares that all connect to this subject of self-awareness.
Personally,
I know I love Bundt cake (this may explain the tight pants). However, I’m not
interested in stockpiling uninspiring Bundt pans. Just sayin’ 😏
How
has self-awareness made life more meaningful for you?
Or, maybe you're just plain frustrated with tight pants?
Or, maybe you're just plain frustrated with tight pants?
**This wraps up my Self-Awareness Series - you can read the previously posted articles at Butterflies Are Free: Uncovering Overprotective Parenting and Thoughts About Being an Only Child and Traits of Birth Order.
******************************************************************************
One More Thing Before You Go!
I enjoy the bundt pan analogy!
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes we need to put things in simpler terms with a little humor interjected. Thanks Haralee!
DeleteI think Midlife has made me more aware of what makes me happy, what makes me feel fulfilled, what resonates with my values and also the need to find and grow my authentic self. I can see that you're on the same path Laurie - it's a good place to be x
ReplyDeleteLeanne, I just wish I had thought more about this when I was younger. However, we can't be too hard ourselves ~ I believe life puts us on certain paths for a reason. I always enjoy your insight, thanks Leanne.
DeleteGreat post. I can’t decide if it’s my age or the change to gray hair, but I seem to be gravitating more and more to finding a happy place within my own self awareness.
ReplyDeleteOh Laura, I think aging is a definite factor. When we reflect on past experiences, it helps to understand if we've honored our own happiness or not. Going gray must be giving you a feeling of happy freedom. Go YOU!
DeleteLOL on being the common demoninator of your past mistakes. #truth
ReplyDeleteI know...right! Self-awareness can be a hard thing to face sometimes. As they say, the truth will set you free! Thanks for stopping by Coco :)
Delete