Self Awareness: Can Embracing Our Pain Lead To Greater Self Awareness?

When someone has no awareness of themselves it is going to lead to problems in their life. They could end up constantly blaming other people for what is or what is not happening to them and be oblivious to the part that they are playing.

Pointing the finger towards other people may lead to short term relief, but it won’t allow them to move forward. In the eyes of others, it might be obvious as to what one is doing and yet, one might chose not to see or perhaps they are unable to see.

Today’s World

And as self awareness is not something that is a part of the mainstream education system or part of mainstream culture in general, this is not much of a surprise. It is then normal to look outside for answers and for reasons as to why something is happening.

To look within is not encouraged in the mainstream and as the external guidance is not there, it is down to the individual to decide if they are going to develop self awareness or not.

Some people will take matters into their own hands and other people will just go along with the status quo. It can depend on numerous factors, such as: if they are an extrovert or an introvert, what the people around them are doing and if the drive is there to look within.

Looking Outside

When someone looks outside, it means they are out of touch with what is taking place within them. And when one is experiencing some kind of tension or unease, it can cause them to look outside for some kind of relief.

Through experiencing this outer relief, it can cause them to feel better on the inside. This is unlikely to last for long though, as the inner unrest will soon return. So one will have to become consumed in some kind of external source in order to change how they feel

From Time To Time

If one was to do this from time to time, it is unlikely to cause too many problems; escapism is part of life and not something to feel guilty about. However, if this was to become a way of life for someone, then it is going to create an inner build up of pain and not only that, but one will slowly become disconnected from this part of themselves.

And while what is going on inside one may soon become a mystery, it doesn’t mean that it will therefore disappear. Instead, it will have an impact on the kind of life that one creates. The kind of relationships that one has with others may seem random or as being out of their control, but they are going to be a reflection of what is taking place within them.

Disconnected

If one was aware of what was taking place within them, they would be able to see how what is taking place externally is a reflection of what is taking place internally. As a result of this, one can end up being victimised and while other people will be involved; it will be partly due to what they have failed to deal with within themselves.

In the words of Wayne Dyer - ‘’When you squeeze an orange, you'll always get orange juice to come out’’. It is what is inside someone that is being reflected externally. The challenge is that, all the time one has no awareness of their inner world, they are not going to be able to realize this.

An Analogy

When there is a new smell in an environment one is going to notice it straight away. But as time passes, one will gradually begin to get used to it and before long, they might no longer notice it.

And when ones attention is placed on the external world and out of touch with their inner world, they might believe that life is something that just happens to them. Perhaps they have lived this way for so long that they have no idea that it could be different. They then ‘don’t know what they don’t know’.

Digging In

As one starts to place their attention on what is going on internally, they will begin to see how their inner world is impacting their outer world. If they have avoided looking within for a long time, they could be carrying a lot of emotional baggage.

But as their inner build up starts to disappear, they will gradually become less reactive and more able to observe what is going on within them. This is a process and something that will improve as times goes by and will also continue for the rest of their life.

Self Understanding

And through letting go of this build up and becoming more aware, one will have a better understanding of themselves. This will then lead to better relationships and to better choices being made in life.

Pain will no longer be seen as something that one has to completely avoid, it will be seen as something that will lead to a greater understanding of who they are. One doesn’t have to face this by themselves either; as the right support is out there.

Awareness

There are books available to assist one in this process, as well as healers, therapists and coaches. The support is there, one only needs to ask for it.

---

If you feel this has been of value, please leave a comment, like or get in touch. And feel free to share this article, as many others have.

Oliver J R Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/