who are you? how are you defining yourself? (part 2)

“We lose ourselves in things we love. We find ourselves there, too.”
–Kristin Martz

Introspection is the process of examining one’s own thoughts, feelings, and motives. It involves self-reflection, where an individual consciously looks inward to gain a deeper understanding of their own mental and emotional experiences.

“We accomplish nothing good in life, before we find out who we are.”
–Sipho P Nkosi

“Don’t spend all of your time trying to find yourself. Spend your time creating yourself into a person that you’ll be proud of.”
–Sonya Parker

A fundamental part of searching within is, self-accountability. Once we commit to searching within ourselves, we are then forced to analyze our choices, and, our decision-making patterns.

Throughout the self-introspection process, we will find ourselves questioning many things, such as, what we do, and why we do it… We will seek to understand our choices and our reasoning when we make decisions. And, before we notice, we are warped into a chapter of our lives that forces us to evolve, by any means necessary!

For me, upon arriving to this particular chapter in my journey, I have learned: it’s best to take it one day at a time! Thus: daily choices 👀

While I would agree, it is important to be mindful of ourselves and how we impact the world around us… During the process of self-introspection, if we discover there are parts of ourselves we don’t too much care for, we should not be too harsh on ourselves. We can be mindful, but, let’t not be critical of ourselves in the process.

We will explore the following to better understand and adapt to daily decision-making: Conscious Decision-Making, Unconscious Habits, Alignment with Values, Social Perception, Adaptability and Change.

Conscious decision-making refers to the process of deliberately considering options, weighing consequences, and choosing a course of action based on one’s values, goals, and priorities.

Awareness and reflection are the two main components of conscious decision-making. With awareness we are able to be mindful of the decision-making process. Through reflection we are able to take the time to consider our personal values and long-term objectives.

The positive benefits of conscious decision-making are endless. Some benefits include: Alignment with Values, Clarity of Purpose, Empowerment, Consistency in Actions, and Resilience.

When we learn to make decisions consciously, we become more likely to align with our personal values, and foster a sense of authenticity and integrity. Over time, we find ourselves gaining clarity on our goals and purpose. This contributes to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Unconscious habits significantly influence our daily lives and our overall well-being. We can think of our unconscious habits as the behaviors we perform automatically, usually without any deliberate thought.

A popular example of this is, when we drive home each day without really needing to put forth any conscious thought. Sometimes we will hear people say, ‘I just drove home and don’t even remember the ride!’ However, unconscious habits stem much deeper than this simple example.

Habits, in general, are formed through a loop of cue, routine, and reward. The formation of habits is consistent for both wanted, AND unwanted habits. When we begin to understand this loop, we can identify and modify our habits to better suit ourselves as we evolve through time.

As one would suspect, forming a habit is a conscious effort; while, maintaining habits becomes an unconscious effort with time and repetition. Positive habits will improve our lives, while negative habits can become detrimental. Hence, unconscious habits will ultimately either support or hinder our personal goals.

I’m sure we could all agree, a majority of the unconscious habits we harbor, were embedded into us during our childhood. It is only through our conscious evolution, that we will gain access/recognition of our unconscious (subconscious) journey.

Our subconscious mind is where we will store all of our unconscious habits, the habits we have and will maintain indefinitely. Because of this, changing our habits requires deep self-awareness and continuous effort.

Living and maintaining our lives in a way that is consistent with our core beliefs and principles is how we align ourselves with our values. When we become in alignment with our values, we foster authenticity, satisfaction, and integrity.

Introspection, reflection, and recognizing what truly matters to us are the first steps to clearly defining our personal values. Once we grow to learn who we are within and what we value most, we become conscious of our habits (both conscious and unconscious), and thus, we can choose our actions in harmony with our values, and begin to feel more genuine and true to ourselves.

Our newfound authenticity will inevitably enhance our self-esteem and elevate our life satisfaction. Once our values are established and we become in alignment, our values will begin to act as a compass in decision-making, guiding choices and behaviors. We will observe ourselves considering what aligns with our core values when we are faced with dilemmas, external pressures, or circumstances that challenge our alignment. When we navigate these challenges mindfully, we sharpen our alignment and further instill our values, which guides our conscious and unconscious decision making.

We will approach many different crossroads throughout our journey of self-discovery and introspection, one of which is social perception. Social perception is defined as the process of interpreting and understanding the behaviors, motives, and intentions of others. Our social perception plays a crucial role in our social interactions and relationships.

Social perceptions range from first impressions, stereotypes and biases, empathy, understanding, behavioral impacts, and more!

Can you reflect on a good or bad experience that left you with a lasting impression? If so, can you recall any initial judgements based on appearance, body language, and/or behavior? These impressions tend to influence our future interactions, based on how we perceive them.

Sometimes, our social perception can be influenced by stereotypes and biases. Typically, a neutral perception of others can lead to healthy social interactions and relationships. We can avoid misunderstandings and unfair judgements by being aware of maintaining a fair and accurate perception of others.

Through empathy and understanding we can easily relate to the perspective and emotions of others. Our ability to be understanding fosters better communication and stronger relationships. This sort of social perspective leads to positive behavior impacts and so much more.

Although adaptability and change contrast each other, they complement one another as well. Adaptability refers to our ability to adjust to new conditions, challenges, and environments. Our ability to adapt is a crucial skill for personal growth and success in an ever-changing world.

Change, on the other hand, refers to the process of becoming different, which can occur on personal, organizational, and societal levels. Our ability to embrace change is also essential for development and progress. To adapt is to acclimatize, while to change, is to transition. However, both require a phase of evolution, nevertheless.

Because change is a constant in life, being adaptable and keeping an open mindset are essential in our willingness to embrace change, as opposed to resisting it. When we understand the inevitability of change, our openness can lead us to new, life-changing opportunities and experiences.

While change involves personal growth, self-improvement, and conquering new goals, adaptability harnesses us with the ability to recover from setbacks and display resiliency. Embracing change leads to a more fulfilling and dynamic life, allowing us to adapt more easily. We no longer feel prone to being discouraged by failures or obstacles when we become resilient.

Effective change and adaptability management are ever-evolving aspects of who we are. To maintain effective change management we will have to commit to planning, communication, and harnessing support. Successful change requires clear goals and strategic planning. Meanwhile, to sustain a healthy sense of adaptability, we will need to commit to continuous learning and self-improvement. Our willingness to maintain and evolve our skills and beliefs will determine our overall fulfillment snd success in life.

Lastly, change and adaptability require flexibility in thinking and emotional response. When we allow ourselves to be flexible thinkers, we are able to see problems from different angles and come up with creative solutions as we navigate the uncertainties and complexities of life. Throughout our adaptation to change, we can experience smooth navigation and transitions by acknowledging and managing our emotions.

I hope this message brings guidance and offers a starting point for anyone in need or anyone with a deep desire to evolve through daily life choices that will ultimately bring about a fulfilling and prosperous life for current generations and generations yet to come!