How to Master the Art of Self-Awareness

I Was Too Self-Aware

Storytime!

For most of my teenage years, I was too Self-Aware.

You're asking what I mean by that?

Sure, self-awareness is initially a good thing, it's a sign of maturity and success.

However, being aware of your awareness is different.

I developed a habit of over-reflecting, which led to an anxiety disorder.

The deeper I went, the more I strayed away from reality.

I shut out the world around me.

Until this day, I'm hypersensitive to any of my sensations.

Two years of therapy have helped me to overcome this.

But the point I'm trying to make is that...

You don't want to get trapped in your head on your self-improvement journey.

A Life Without Self-Awareness?

But as you can tell, no Self-Awareness is equally bad.

I call people without it NPCs (Non-playable characters)

If their thoughts tell them to do something - they do it.

No questioning, no pattern recognition, and no control over themselves

Their monkey brain controls them.

They might even hate their lives because of it

And Instead of changing things up

(Which would never work because they see themselves doomed to fail)

They blame others for their problems and drown in instant gratification.

It's another way to get trapped in your head.

Since you're reading this letter, I doubt the Matrix movies are a documentary about you.

You’ve already decided which pill to take.

Time to wake you up.

Let’s hop into the juicy part.

How to cultivate Self-Awareness

It should be obvious why Self-Awareness is extremely important by now.

Just make sure to develop a healthy balance.

So, if you want to live a fulfilling life and positively impact others

You need to KNOW your:

• Values

• Needs

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Habits

• Impact

Stop distracting yourself with cheap dopamine sources like:

• Gaming

• Drinking

• Social Media

Living from day to day without knowing yourself will inevitably make you miserable.

Most people who think they're depressed most likely lack a real purpose in life.

It’s easy to discover these traits and gain an edge over 99% of people.

All you need is 2 habits to start with:

1. Meditation

2. Journaling

I already see you guys sighing at me.

Yes, the M-word (I won't use it anymore - promised!)

But quietly sitting in a lotus position with your eyes closed is essential.

You want to start observing your thoughts to gain distance from them.

"You're not your thoughts."

They don't define you as a person.

There is someone in the back of your head who is evaluating them.

Letting these thoughts go by without judging them will set you up for the next step.

There's no need to overcomplicate this.

You have to practice.

Without practice, there is no awareness.

Every guided meditation on YouTube will teach you more than my words ever could.

Keeping a journal is the next step.

You want to document your findings.

There's no specific "correct" way to do this.

Just somehow write down your thoughts to see them on paper.

That's the ONLY way you'll start to recognize patterns.

An example setup would be (Do this every single day):

1. What bothered me today? (learn how to cope with ''bad" things)

2. How did I feel today? (Rate your mood, energy, productivity, etc.)

3. What could I have done better? (Reflect on your reaction to what bothered you)

Dig down to the root of all positive and negative thoughts.

Start to QUESTION EVERYTHING.

Don't always trust your thoughts.

Find out what triggers them.

Find out what they mean.

And most importantly, find out how to stop them before they occur again.

You can change whatever you want by asking the right questions.

But that’s a topic for another letter.

Additional Strategies

Ultimately, it all boils down to curiosity.

If you have a natural interest in yourself, this will be an easy game for you.

You could also:

1. Ask your friends how they see you

A few months ago, my closest friends and I compiled a list of our strengths and weaknesses.

Everyone could add something to everyone.

This is a great way to strengthen your bond and gain a new perspective on yourself.

2. Take online personality tests

I know... I know... BUT listen.

While I've found them accurate for myself, it's not about the result that reveals to you.

It's about critically assessing if those results match your personality,

if you could add or drop something,

if you like what you see or not.

You have to start THINKING for yourself.

3. Take the third-person perspective

Zooming out helps you avoid feeling offended when someone criticizes your beliefs.

Try to see life from the perspective of the universe.

We're one large organism - one system.

There is no black & white - all we see is grey.

Changing perspectives helps you detach from your situation.

You'll feel calm.

And plenty of new insights will come to you.

Probably too many for you to write them down hahaha.

ACTION!

This process requires practice over a longer time frame.

Don't expect to change your life within the first few days.

Becoming self-aware is a lifelong journey.

There is no end goal.

Focusing on aspects you have control over will automatically bring your inner and outer world into harmony.

Self-Awareness is a powerful vehicle and the more experience you gather in driving, the faster you'll be.

Cheers,

Yasar