This blog is completely about how to create self-awareness and stages of self-awareness. So we will first start with how to create self-awareness
How to create self-awareness?
“To create self-awareness, you first need to understand your personality.
What is Personality?
Personality is a set of consistent patterns displayed over an extended period. In society, it’s often said that if someone frequently shows anger, they’re perceived as an angry person. Similarly, if someone consistently communicates in a joyful manner, they’re seen as living a happy life. This is what defines one’s personality.
There are a total of 16 personality types. If you’re unfamiliar with these types, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll guide you on how to assess your personality and provide more details.
Understanding your personality means having insight into your strengths and weaknesses.
Human personality is shaped by three ‘nafs‘:
Nafse Amara
Nafse Lawama
Nafse Mutmainna
These three ‘nafs’ are mentioned in the Holy Quran by Allah Almighty. Knowing them can significantly aid in understanding your personality.
1. Let’s start with ‘Nafse Lawama.’ Every religion emphasizes this ‘nafs.’ In modern times, science validates the importance of surrounding oneself with positive influences for personal growth and success. Associating with negative influences or engaging in negative habits can damage ‘Nafse Lawama.’ When this ‘nafs’ is harmed, one-third of your personality could be compromised. However, it’s possible to rebuild it if damaged.
2. Nafse Mutmainna:is the ‘nafs’ that ‘finds joy in doing good deeds.’ By engaging in positive actions like helping others or achieving personal goals, this ‘nafs’ flourishes. It’s a psychological principle that making others happy contributes to your own happiness. Conversely, neglecting this ‘nafs’ results in a decline of two-thirds of your personality.
3. Nafse Ammara:This ‘nafs’ is intricately linked to your subconscious mind, influencing your habits and choices. It tends to focus on the negative aspects of experiences, shaping your perceptions. Understanding and controlling this ‘nafs’ is crucial. Allowing this ‘nafs’ to dominate can diminish two-thirds of your personality.
By evaluating the strength and impact of these three ‘nafs,’ one can work on strengthening the positive aspects while diminishing the negative ones. This process fosters self-awareness, contributing to personal growth and success.”
Stages of Self-Awareness.
Introduction
Imagine self-awareness as your personal compass, guiding you through life’s twists and turns. It’s like having a mirror that reflects not just your face but also your thoughts, emotions, and how you impact the world around you. This self-understanding isn’t just about knowing who you are; it’s about seeing how your actions and feelings affect everything you do.
In this journey through the stages of self-awareness, we’re going to explore how we grow from knowing very little about ourselves to truly mastering our inner worlds. There are five stops along this journey, each one marking a big step towards understanding ourselves better.
Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence
Picture this stage like when you first start something new. You’re excited but clueless. It’s like trying to play a guitar without realizing you don’t even know how to hold it properly. This is where we have no idea about our weaknesses or what we don’t know yet.
We see this in everyday life too. Think about times when you’re unsure about your feelings or how your actions affect others. It’s like missing the instructions for an emotional puzzle.
The key thing here is understanding that we don’t know everything about ourselves. It’s the first step to getting better because once we know what we don’t know, we start asking questions and learning. Realizing our blind spots is the start of an adventure toward becoming better versions of ourselves.
Recognizing our cluelessness is like turning on a light. It’s the beginning of a journey where we learn and grow, paving the way for a more self-aware and confident self.
Stage 2: Realizing What You Don’t Know
This stage is like waking up to the fact that there are things you don’t know or aren’t good at yet. It’s a big moment because suddenly you realize where you can improve. It’s important to accept this feeling and see it as a chance to get better. To move through this stage positively, it helps to be open to learning. That might mean finding someone to teach you or looking for resources to help you grow. Seeing this as a normal part of learning can keep you motivated to improve.
Stage 3: Learning and Getting Better
After realizing what you don’t know, you start actively learning and practicing new things. It’s like stepping into a phase where you’re making an effort to understand and get good at something. This phase involves a lot of practice and trying new things. It can be tough at times, but those challenges help you grow. When you overcome them and get better at something, it feels really good. Instead of just focusing on reaching a goal, enjoying the journey of learning is key to keeping up the motivation to improve.
Stage 4: Doing Things Without Even Thinking
At this stage, it’s like you’ve mastered something so well that you do it without even realizing. It’s about seamlessly using the skills or knowledge you’ve learned in your everyday life without having to consciously think about it. Imagine driving a car—you’ve practiced so much that you change gears or check mirrors without even thinking. This stage is all about that kind of mastery, where what you’ve learned becomes second nature. It’s a bit like autopilot mode!
Stage 5: Knowing Yourself Even Better
Moving beyond just doing things well, this stage is about taking a step back and understanding yourself more deeply. It involves looking at your actions, thoughts, and skills, and thinking about them. By reflecting and taking time to think about your experiences, you gain a higher level of self-awareness. This self-assessment helps in spotting areas for improvement and keeps you growing. Tools like journaling, meditation, or regular check-ins with yourself are great ways to maintain this awareness and keep on growing.
Conclusion
As we wrap up this journey through the stages of self-awareness, it’s like looking back at a road trip where each stop was a significant discovery about ourselves.
We began not knowing much about ourselves—like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces. Realizing what we didn’t know was like turning on a light in a dark room—it started this incredible journey of growth.
Moving forward, we woke up to things we didn’t know or weren’t good at yet. It was a bit like finding a treasure map and realizing there’s more to explore. Embracing this feeling of wanting to improve is what kept us going.
Then came the part where we actively learned and practiced new things about ourselves. It was challenging, like climbing a mountain, but reaching the top was exhilarating. It’s like building a stronger, more confident version of ourselves brick by brick.
As we come to the end of this journey, remember, self-awareness isn’t a destination; it’s an ongoing adventure. It’s about always looking inside, growing, and evolving. Let’s cheer each other on to keep exploring our thoughts and feelings, because that’s where the real magic of personal growth happens.
So, here’s to embracing this journey, to diving deeper into who we are, and always aiming for personal growth. Self-awareness isn’t just about knowing ourselves; it’s about understanding who we can become and using that understanding to navigate life with purpose and clarity.