Throughout our daily lives, we are constantly observing and analysing. Whether it’s an important document for work or a confusing text from your best friend, we have successfully trained our brains to obtain data and examine it for deeper meaning or explanation.
While it has become second nature to think critically, the ironic part is we often forget to apply this concept to ourselves.
Introspection involves examining one’s own thoughts, feelings and sensations in order to gain insight. It is about getting to know yourself at the core, uncovering your values and then deciding for yourself about which is the best action to take. You take the power away from the way you’ve been conditioned, away from the systems that try to hold you in place and bring your focus of control back to where it belongs, within you.
There are a million ways we come to understand the nuances of who we are. Most of us have probably taken a personality test of some sort for work or fun. Under the right conditions they can be a good catalyst for self-reflection and realization. We inevitably gain self-understanding through our relationships, which can be startling mirrors to our strengths and weaknesses, our assets and insecurities. Harsh circumstances or events may pare us down to a definitive core. Challenges test us, and age in general inevitably reveals more. Life as it progresses has a way of showing what we’re made of. Likewise, learning to accept one’s self is one of the genuine gifts of growing older.
In a society fixated on fast-paced environments and a “go, go, go” mentality, it’s difficult to find the time to sit down and reflect. However, setting aside a small portion of your day for self-examination can be a lot more helpful than you might expect. By practicing introspection you’ll uncover a lot of resistance. Both internally and from family and friends. After all, you’re gracefully bowing out from the way most people process the world. This liberation comes with uncertainty, but also a newfound sense of freedom and purpose. By taking the time to become an expert of yourself, first, have the power to make decisions that make you feel good. By cultivating a bond of understanding you bring your dream life within reach. No more stumbling, no more feeling lost. Even the times of uncertainty will be more secure, as you’re always pointed north towards your purpose. This can also be called “living from your centre.” You become a force of power in your own life. Your actions and work that comes from this point will be able to bring light into other’s lives as well.
By knowing yourself you can utilise your strengths to help others around you, and to understand the things that you will excel at. By knowing where you struggle, you have the opportunity to prevent these areas from damaging you or affecting people around you. Together these can be used to strengthen your relationships with the teams you work in and to demonstrate leadership.
Apart from this, understanding yourself and having the ability to introspect can have a huge impact on your emotional health. If there is one thing that you are unhappy about, think about your own behaviour in the situation and ways toimprove it. Try to think about making the best out of every situation, staying positive, and focusing on what you actually have control over, not what you cannot change. Everyone needs a little self-improvement now and again. The first step to that is understanding yourself and being the best person who you can be.
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.” – Lao Tzu
Authorship: Jhanvee Gala
References:
The Art Of Introspection. (2017, August 27). Retrieved from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-art-of-introspection
Wood, K. (n.d.). The Lost Art of Introspection: Why You Must Master Yourself. Retrieved from https://expertenough.com/2990/the-lost-art-of-introspection-why-you-must-master-yourself
Knowing Yourself: The Importance of Understanding Who You Are. (2013, October 17). Retrieved from https://www.marksdailyapple.com/knowing-yourself-the-importance-of-understanding-who-you-are/
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