self-Awareness is key
There are dozens of mental and psychological problems, each one having its own unique traits. Yet underlying all of those problems and traits is one key condition… a lack of self-awareness. Without self-awareness, there can be no recovery.
So much of our time is devoted to things outside ourselves. Everything in our environment grabs for our attention, often to the point where we ignore what’s going on inside. From TVs, cell phones, and computers, to people, careers, responsibilities and relationships, all are constantly competing for our attention. When we lose touch with our feelings, our inner-self, we are at the mercy of literally everything on the outside.
Now it’s true that we all can’t become recluses, hermits or monks, but it’s vitally important to reconnect with our inner-self. That inner-self is who we REALLY are. Unfortunately, many people never make that connection; they suppress that soft, inner voice that’s begging for attention. And the price of doing so is huge! Money can’t fill it, relationships can’t fill it, drugs and alcohol can’t fill it, other people, power and careers can’t fill it. Nothing on the outside can fill that inner emptiness.
That inner emptiness never leads to anything good. Relationships fail, drug and alcohol addictions skyrocket, careers fall apart, and it sometimes even leads to suicide. How many “famous” people have gone into the gutter, losing everything they worked for? How many have committed suicide? Way too many. Elvis Presley was an example of someone who had everything they could possibly want… physically speaking. Yet, in the end, his inner emptiness led to drug addiction and ultimately to his death at age 42. So sad.
self-awareness is key
It’s interesting to note that little children don’t have this problem; they wear their feelings on their sleeves. Children are 100% honest and still connected to their inner-selves. They don’t hate, they don’t judge or seek revenge, and they don’t carry grudges. They easily forgive and forget the negative stuff in life, and get right back to being pure, innocent, loving little beings. Childhood is a very special, and even magical part of the overall human experience. Sadly, it’s a phase that gets overshadowed by gradually being subjected to the fears, injustices, challenges and unexpected “bumps” in the road of life. Growing up is unavoidable, but it’s important to reconnect with our inner child, and the feelings we tend to repress.
The Greek Philosopher Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living”. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. And there are literally millions of people who have never re-connected with that childlike, inner-self… their TRUE self. As a result, there are more “chronic” illnesses and conditions in the world than ever before! And they all have essentially the same root cause… it’s a person’s disconnection with their true inner-self, a lack of self-awareness.
Modern medicine does a fabulous job of treating acute conditions. If you get busted up in a car wreck, or have some other serious physical problem, they are able to handle it superbly. Sometimes it’s only with medications, sometimes it’s with a combination of medications and surgery. Either way, they have a high success rate. However, they are severely lacking when it comes to treating psychological and emotional issues – because they are NOT physical problems. They can treat the symptoms of these types of problems, but that only prolongs the condition. Pills and surgery cannot treat the non-physical root of the problem. Therefore, it never really goes away – and becomes chronic.
self-awareness is key
So, what other options are available? How do you reconnect with your inner-self and truly become self-aware? Actually, there are some very effective ways. But in order for any of them to work, one must be willing to put forth some personal effort and dedication. Living in this “instant gratification” world can be challenging. But like it or not, reconnecting is necessary. This is the first step in making personal changes. Unless you’re in it “head, hands and feet”, you’re wasting your time. For lasting changes to happen, you must be committed to the process.
For those of you who are ready to commit to reconnecting with your inner-self and becoming more self-aware, here are a few options to consider.
Yoga or Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi are great methods for reconnecting. They both involve gentle physical movement and mental focus. The body and mind are connected – far more than most people realize. When you slow down the body, the mind will follow… and vise-versa. Learning how to slow down and relax both physically and mentally are essential in reconnecting with your inner-self, and becoming more self-aware. This process of learning how to be quiet, slow down, and listen, will help you to open up to your inner-self. Quietness can speak volumes… if you’re willing to listen.
Meditation
Although yoga and tai chi both involve a degree of meditation, sometimes their physical demands are too much for some people. Meditation on the other hand, does not require any strenuous physical activity. The important thing is to learn how to relax deeply, usually by focusing upon your breathing. Practicing meditation on a daily basis can definitely help you to learn how to slow down. It can also help you to focus your attention inward where it’s needed the most. In addition, playing soft music in the background can make the process much easier.
self-awareness is key
Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy
Being a hypnotherapist, I am partial to the use of hypnosis for helping people to develop their self-awareness. I have often told people that hypnosis is basically “meditation with an agenda”. The hypnotic state and the meditative state are virtually the same. The only difference is that hypnotherapy has someone to guide you through the process.
A hypnotherapist is one who is trained in various methods that help you to stay focused and on track with reaching your personal goals. Along that track, you will have “ah-ha!” moments where new insights into your problem will present themselves. These moments will make things clear to you. And when you are mentally clear about what your problem really is, the solution to the problem will become clear as well.
When you become clear about the problem and the solution, you ARE becoming self-aware! And once you experience self-awareness for the first time as a grownup, you’ll want to experience it again and again! It is an amazing, liberating experience!
Self-awareness really is the key to reconnecting with that little child of years gone by. He/she is still in there, patiently waiting for you to come full-circle, and reunite with your true essence. It’s a beautiful thing to experience. And as a hypnotherapist, it’s a beautiful thing to witness.