Have you ever dived into food to ease some discomfort you were feeling? A little chocolate, perhaps? Or, perhaps, did you choose to go out with some friends to drink and have some fun?
Many things we do on a daily basis seem innocent and without a cause behind them. But the truth is that most of them are escapes from a deeper problem. When we develop self-knowledge, we have a much greater notion of what is happening in our internal world, and thus, we can act more wisely.
But after all, what is self-knowledge? What are its benefits? And how can we develop it?
That's exactly what we're going to see in this video. So, come with me! Self-knowledge is the ability to know our internal world.
Our emotions, thoughts, desires, fears, beliefs, frustrations and so on. It is understanding our true essence. But it also helps us understand how others see us and how we fit into the world we live in.
So, we can say that self-knowledge helps us improve our relationship with ourselves, but also our relationship with the world. Developing self-knowledge means having much more power in life. But there is a big difference between actually having self-knowledge and believing we have it.
According to psychologist Tasha Eurich, an American expert on the subject, 95% of people believe they have self-knowledge. But in reality, only 10 to 15% actually have it. That's curious, isn't it?
Right. We understand the concept. But what are the benefits of self-knowledge?
Developing self-knowledge helps us in all areas of life. In our profession, in romantic or family relationships, in finances, in sports and so on. Have you ever found yourself reacting in a more explosive way, and then you were surprised that you had that reaction to something so simple, but you couldn't understand why?
This happens very easily in our daily lives when we don't yet know ourselves well. By developing self-knowledge you will know more about your strengths and weaknesses, your tastes, your fears and blocks, your beliefs and values and also your searches. .
. You will become a less aggressive person, with fewer fears, with better and deeper relationships, with less likely to develop emotional illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and emotional instability… . .
. and you will also tend to be much healthier, even physically, as you will be much more aware of what you are doing with your body. With self-knowledge you will also increasingly expand your awareness, you will have a broader notion of life, human relationships and also relationships with animals and the environment.
. . You will also have more knowledge about your habits and behaviors, and you will be able to change those that are negative or that don't take you in the direction you want.
By developing self-knowledge, you will have a much better chance of finding your purpose in life, and this will certainly lead you in the direction of genuine happiness, which is the deepest and most meaningful. Cool. So, now that we've discovered the benefits, let's learn how to develop self-knowledge and improve our lives.
Before starting, it is important to keep in mind that we can operate on 3 levels: The first is the level of thoughts. What thoughts am I having? The second is feelings.
What am I feeling? And the third is that deeper and still hidden level. And you may wonder: What am I not seeing?
With this in mind, we can use countless ways and tools to achieve self-knowledge at different levels. One that I really like is meditation and we have talked about it several times here on the channel. It's worth practicing daily.
Another powerful technique is to ask yourself: WHY? Why do I do this? Why do I eat this type of food and not the other?
Why am I willing to trade my long-term health for the momentary pleasure that this food gives me, even though I know it is very harmful? And a very important one is: why do I want what I want? What am I looking for?
Remember, when we seek something, we don't want exactly that thing, but rather the energy we believe it will provide us. And this energy is totally linked to the meaning we give to things and events in life. So if we consciously know how to get that energy through richer, healthier choices, we probably will.
And we can enhance this technique by asking ourselves 3 to 5 whys. For example: Why did I say that when I was arguing with my wife? Because I was angry.
. . And why was I angry?
Because I felt uncomfortable when she said I was very overweight. And why did it bother me so much? Well, because I know it's true, and I'm scared that I'm no longer attractive to my wife and I might lose her.
And then, I will have to step out of my comfort zone and change my habits. And change hurts. Okay, in 3 whys you have already discovered a lot about the triggers that led you to act that way.
Now you have a better chance of finding better solutions. Another cool tool is to develop the habit of observation. Both to observe yourself and to observe the world around you.
But without making judgments. Neither from yourself nor from others. Just observe.
An interesting challenge you can try is to spend an entire day in silence. It is an enriching experience. Making lists also helps a lot.
Make lists of your values and pursuits, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. Value what you already do well, and see where you need to improve. A very important point is also to try to accept yourself as you are.
We live in a world that is very superficial and empty. This makes many people go against their essence and their health to try to be accepted and valued by others. This is very negative.
Therefore, accept yourself as you are. This will give you much more lightness. Another valuable point is to know your limits well.
Physical, mental, emotional, financial and whatever else is needed. Expanding your limits can be good, but you can only do that once you find out what your current limit is on that subject. Also learn to say no.
Both for yourself, and in cases that steal your attention, such as food, social media, television, etc. , as well as for others, when they are exceeding your limit and harming you. Expand your emotional vocabulary.
There are more than a thousand words that describe our emotions. But, in general, we only use 10 to 15. And when we can't correctly express what we feel, we tend to get stressed.
Below you can download a list of emotions that we have separated for you. Another important point in self-knowledge is not being afraid to change your opinion. Defending an opinion just to protect your ego will only hinder your evolution.
Also investigate yourself in your daily life. Ask yourself how you behaved in a given event, and how you wish you had behaved. And find out what’s missing to achieve that desired result.
And it is also very important to take responsibility for your life. Keeping grumbling and blaming others is putting yourself in the position of a victim and a poor thing, and this takes away your power of action. Faced with the facts of life, it is also valuable to take a step back and ask yourself: what am I not seeing?
How can I broaden my vision? Also talk to people from different realities and life experiences. You will learn a lot from this.
And play for life. Do unexpected things and have different experiences, without letting fears, taboos and prejudices block you. This will make you grow a lot.
Another valuable point is to develop the habit of attentive listening. And in parallel to this, also observe your thoughts and practice more in choosing words when expressing yourself, trying to be more assertive about what you really feel and think, and not just throwing words to the wind. Also question yourself frequently.
And question the world around you. But know how to do this with maturity and responsibility, and not just to be contrary and unstable. Books are also excellent for self-knowledge.
We can learn a lot from the experience of others. Also make programs alone. Go to the park, cinema, theater, restaurant, museums… And also travel alone.
Doing all this alone creates a very different experience than when we are with others. And another cool tip is to keep a diary. When we put it on paper, we can read differently about the different events in our lives.
Helping other people, animals or the environment is also excellent for developing self-knowledge. This will make you have a different perception of yourself. And, of course, there are also several therapeutic practices that help with self-knowledge.
We have traditional psychotherapy, but we also have other alternatives. If you feel the need, seek professional help in a line that makes sense for you. Whatever your age and life experience, we all still have a lot to know.
With these tips, I believe you will know yourself much better and will be able to make much wiser decisions in life. And you, have you been trying to develop self-knowledge? What practices and tools have helped you the most?
Share with us, so others can benefit too. And remember to see the additional content below in the video description. That's it for today!
If you liked the video, like it, so I know it's really helping. And don't forget to subscribe to the channel and hit the bell, because there's a lot more cool content ahead. A beautiful day to you and see you in the next video!
