Do you? Who are they? A student who’s constantly wondering where their future will lead them? Or a content office worker who’s happy with their life? Or a traveler who’s achieving their dreams in seeing the world? 

Who is the person you see in your reflection? 

Many people would choose to describe their circumstances, their surroundings but rarely who they really are. Something that is persistently overlooked, due to how fast the world is moving, is the importance of understanding the self. While it may not pay the bills, self-knowledge can truly enrich a person’s life. To be able to accept flaws and imperfections, as well as acknowledging one’s talents and self-worth, is something that can improve your compassion and emotional intelligence.

Without self-understanding, mistakes and faults can weigh heavily on the mind. This can lead to temperament issues, taking out frustrations on others, and isolating oneself. When you accept who you are, it becomes easier to be kinder to yourself. And when you are self-compassionate, that patience extends to those around you as well. Not only will you be the best version of yourself, but you can also work towards becoming the person you want to be.

Meg Selig, an author who focuses on personal and career counseling, created the term VITALS. This is meant to guide those who would like to start incorporating more tenderness and patience in their life. The acronym entails : 

1. Values

2. Interests

3. Temperament

4. Around-the-clock Activities

5. Life-mission and Goals

6. Strengths and Weaknesses

By putting these into consideration, one may be able to better understand the way they work. There are many benefits that come from self-understanding. One important result is that it can boost confidence. Not only will it improve one’s personal life, but career life as well. Confidence allows us to take risks and put ourselves out there. Confidence doesn’t mean  that we won’t make mistakes but the propensity to accept and take accountability for our faults. 

Self-knowledge can also help in getting rid of doubt. When we are more comfortable in our own skin, we can build better and deeper relationships with other people. Being able to trust ourselves enough to trust other people is an important soft skill in life, one that can take us very far, especially in terms of relationships. On the contrary, it can also ensure that we no longer seek validation from others, making it so that the relationships we build are healthy and two-sided. Doubt is something that plagues many, but there is no harm in making the effort to be rid of it. There is no harm in particular, in trying to understand yourself.

Self-knowledge is such an important factor in having a fulfilling life. It creates a bubble of satisfaction and happiness within yourself, but doesn’t lock other people out from you. Self-knowledge brings about self-love, and who would not want to love themself?

So, who is it that you see in the mirror? When you know, accept them. Understand them. Give them the patience they give others. And most importantly, love them.

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Sources : 

https://www.betterup.com/blog/the-importance-of-knowing-yourself

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-importance-of-self-understanding-and-self-knowledge

https://cresentella.com/13-reasons-why-knowing-yourself-is-important/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/contributors/meg-selig

Mental Health