Understanding Self-Awareness: Maybe Bundt Pans Aren’t Your Thing?

Self-awareness could be the mind-blowing freedom you’re looking for. It’s that A-HA! moment when you understand why you do the things you do.  

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?

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!!

Image Creidt: Pixabay.com - johnhain

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.”

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?

**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.

Indulging In the Write Stuff ✍

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One More Thing Before You Go!

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