Ottawa Women's Coach

You know that you have some self-awareness when you know that you don't have it all the time. Until you are ready to shed the perfect public image, self-awareness remains in the background. Self-awareness implies the capacity for reflection on one's behaviour and thinking and being able to say, "Ah! now I understand - I see how my thinking was influenced by: what had just happened and how I was feeling at that moment, my assumption about (blank), the beliefs I have developed as a result of my upbringing, etc. etc. etc. One of the reasons self-awareness is sometimes a challenge, is because it brings up how we judge ourselves and when the judgment is harsh, it becomes easier to push consciousness under the rug. Perfectionism (judging your worth by your productivity, accomplishment, looks or anything else you do) can be in just one area of your life and still cause extreme damage because you beat yourself up for not being up to unattainable standards: it can affect you whether you get your self-worth from how you keep floors so clean one could eat off (who would want to, anyway?) or your brand of perfectionism has to do with work competence (one I am more familiar with personally)


Next time you are tempted to push self-awareness away, remember that you don't have to listen to the voice of your inner-critic that tells you to beat yourself up.Remeber that this is the voice of fear. Give yourself permission to be less than perfect, take a deep breath and examine what has happened. If it's something you can change, take action and do it. If it's not, decide to drop it and to do different in the future. Choose to not blame, either yourself or others. Consciously face your inner critic and don't let it win. You don't have to be perfect.

P.S. Visit a great place: http://www.roaringwomen.com
Marguerite Tennier, M.A.
http://www.canadascoach.com

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