After 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.
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.
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:
Quiz 2: You know that you’re triggered when people tell you:
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!
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.
Thanks Susan! It makes me think that the title could be “are you boiled milk or spoiled milk”?
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!!
Thanks Ian! I’m a big fan of our work too, the one with the Inner Activist!