May 19, 2015 Carole Levy

H.B.M, part 3: Exploring self-awareness

1-hot-buttonAfter skimming over our hot button fields in my two previous posts, I’m inviting you today to dig deeper into the crucial area of self-awareness. Self-awareness is our ability to accurately perceive our emotions, thoughts and behaviours in the moment. Self-awareness is key to self-transformation.

We all have the capacity to be self-aware. When we are not, it is usually for one of two reasons: either we are emotionally over-reacting, or we are emotionally under-reacting. Let me illustrate each situation.

If you tend to be emotionally over-reacting (like me), your emotions are like a pot of milk on the verge of boiling over. When you’re triggered, the milk boils and spills all over you, and drowns your discernment. You are not self-aware in the moment. In addition, you have to clean up the mess and re-fill the pot with still no time to be self-aware.

boiling-`-milk

If you tend to be emotionally under-reacting (like some people I know), your emotions are like a pot of milk forgotten in the fridge on the verge of curdling. When you’re triggered, the milk goes sour, but nobody – including you- notices when you drink it. Therefore you continue your life with a big smile and just a slight unpleasant sensation in the stomach. You are truly not self-aware.

curdling-milk

Most of us have experienced both reactions, but we usually have a predominant tendency. Here are two short quizzes to help you identify your predominant reactive tendency, exercise your self-awareness, and catch your ineffective reactions. Let me know your thoughts and STAY TUNED! More is coming next week…

Quiz 1: When something has triggered you, do you tend to think:

quiz1

Quiz 2: You know that you’re triggered when people tell you:

quiz2

 

Comments (7)

  1. Catherine

    C’est tellement excellent, c’est tellement moi, c’est tellement nous tous ou presque….j’adooore. Definitely a completely “a” type, mixed to a sometimes “b” type, I love it to feel I am almost normal or should I say “common” . I thought I was the only one , ah ah.
    Carole I love your posts, this one is JUST what I needed to laugh at me today. And love myself a bit tiny bit more 😉
    You are brilliant.

    • Bonjour Catherine! So great to hear from you and to see that are still aligned in the essential… I miss you!

  2. susan efros

    Fabulous! Hilarious. Filled with wisdom! And the drawings are magnificent! I love the green-faced lady drinking spoiled milk! It’s all so funny and bubbling with truth. Keep them coming.

  3. Am I smiling? …too funny. Thanks for another opportunity to see the humour in our human condition. I am a big fan of your work Carole!!

Comments are closed.

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