Interestingly enough, according to studies conducted by Forbes, only 15% of you reading will have a decisive answer to the question 'Who are you?'. It’s strange, isn’t it, that a seemingly easy question can trick up even the smartest of academic minds. After all, surely we should know ourselves to the greatest depths of detail.
Recent times have put us in the toughest of situations, depriving us of life as we know it- or knew it, and something we thrive on: human contact. However, we should not fail to see the light within the darkness. First of all, we got to take a step out of the rat-race of daily life: the waking up to the shrill ring of your alarm at 6 o’clock ,the being trapped next to a sweat-secreting creature in a cramped train carriage first thing in the morning, and ,of course, the piles of never-ending homework. Lockdown has meant we have had to spend a lot more time on our own. Personally, it gave me time to reflect on myself more. I know for a fact that coming out of lockdown, I know myself a lot better than I did before it.
The human body and mind is far too complex for me, a 14 year old student, to even attempt to conceptualise. However, I believe that a lot of the interactions you have with others and yourself can be defined by four areas. Answering these four areas have brought me a step closer to achieving true self-awareness.
- Your Personality Traits
What are your characteristics like as a person? The good and the bad.
- Your Strengths and Weaknesses
What are you good at and what are you not so good at?
- Your Interests and Hobbies
What do you like to do that makes you feel happy and at peace?
- Your Purpose and Aims
What do you aspire to be? It can be as specific and literal as having certain job aspirations or as open as simply being a good person.
You may find that many of the answers to these are interlinked. The links between these are often what help bring you the confidence to know who you really are. Self-awareness not only increases your confidence, it increases the amount of positive engagements you have with people, it increases your likelihood to achieve success for you, and above all, it increases your happiness. It is important to make time to nourish yourself and take time out when you need it.
Now, if there's one thing that you take away from reading this article, I hope it is this. Start your day off with the mantra ‘Who am I?’, ‘Who do I want to be?’ and ‘What am I going to achieve today?’ . Replenish your days with happiness, confidence and inspiration to be your best self.
