The Importance Of Having Self Awareness.

Tweet

We all have various biases when it comes to life. Regardless of how we may try to deny the fact that we as individuals are partial to certain things and people in our lives, biases and nepotism is just something that exists within our world. Often times, the biggest portions of impartiality and biases come from within ourselves. Quite frankly, saying often times in regards to this thought is totally wrong. Now that I think about it, the biases and opinions that we have towards ourselves outweigh any other opinions that we may have. But when you take a second to think about the attitudes that we have towards ourselves, it really isn't that hard to believe that this is the case. We are the ones living our own lives, and being that no one else can live your life for you, the thought of being biased towards yourself really isn't anything out of the norm. I believe that we all should have a certain attitude towards how we view our lives. Of course since we're all different in our own unique ways, the attitudes and biased views that we take towards how we see ourselves will vary. However, I also believe that we all should have some degree of a positive outlook when it comes towards seeing ourselves. We're all aware how so many people these days are quick to put themselves down for whatever reasons they may feel are necessary. Though this is something that I don't advocate that we should be participating in, the fact remains that it is something that happens, probably more than it should be. While I totally endorse the idea of we as people viewing ourselves through a more positive lens, I also believe that many of us fail to look at ourselves with honest eyes. Basically, we allow our biases towards ourselves to cloud our ability to honestly access the shortcomings we may have. Self awareness is probably the biggest form of awareness that we as a people can have, and it is also one of various types of awareness that many of us are lacking.

Hey, what's going on party people? This is another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' coming right back you all once again. Of course I go by the name of Brad H., and I'd like to welcome everyone once again to another posting where I give my perspective on a topic that I feel could be helpful and relevant in all of our lives. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day. Now that we are a few days removed from Thanksgiving, I want to briefly talk about that Monday Night Football game that took place this week between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. Now it is rare where I will DVR a sporting event to watch a second time. If I do happen to DVR something sports related, it is because I know I won't be able to watch it live. This was a game that I had to DVR to watch a second time. For those of you that saw the game, you know exactly how exciting of a game it was. The Rams ended up winning the game 54-51. The fact that there was well over 100 points scored in this game is insane in its own right. We all know both of these teams are juggernauts offensively, but it was the turnovers that ultimately decided this game. Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs turned the ball over five times and still threw for 6 touchdowns and nearly 500 yards. All I can say is wow. At this point of the season, I think it is safe to say who the cream of the crop is in the NFL. There are several legit teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, and of course the New England Patriots. However, I think most of us can agree that the Chiefs, Rams, and New Orleans Saints are probably at the top when it comes to be favorites. As much as I don't want to say it (don't like the Saints), I believe the Saints are the top team in the league at the moment. Speaking of which, they'll be playing my Dallas Cowboys next Thursday. We'll have to see what happens there, but I'm not expecting Dallas to win that game. The good thing about sports is that anything can happen, and upsets are always possible. We're gonna have to see how the rest of the few weeks left in the regular season play out, but big props to the Chiefs and Rams for an amazing game.

So now that I've addressed something besides the topic that will be covered in this week's edition, it is time for me to now give the usual disclaimer that I give before putting my thoughts out here for you all to read. This regular disclaimer is just something I do to let it be known that my viewpoint isn't the only way to view things. Some of this may not even apply to many of you, but hopefully there are various nuggets of wisdom that can be taken from this. This is just an outlet to express thoughts and ideas, so I hope they're able to help someone else out there. So as I have already addressed, we all have different ways of viewing things in this life. The objective with this isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but rather to inspire some thought and wisdom that we can use to be applied to our lives. Some of you may not agree with some of my views, and that it totally your right to do so if that is the case. However, I also hope that most of what I say will be helpful in some of your lives as well. Whatever you may think or feel on this or any of the other subjects that I have discussed on here, I'm grateful for every single person that chooses to spend a few moments of their lives reading what I think. Also don't forget that if anyone has anything that they would like to add in addition to what I have brought up, please feel free to do that in the comment section at the end. I can't say it enough, but we're all here to learn from one another. So how did I come up to wanting to address this topic for this installment? Similar to the most recent topic that I covered on being a forward thinker, this edition's topic was inspired by something I listened to on Youtube earlier this week. I heard a guy bring up the idea of self awareness in a specific context, and the words "self awareness" stayed with me throughout the week. I pondered on it for a few days, and I thought to myself that the idea of self awareness is definitely something that our society is lacking in these days. I figured I could try and use it in a context that show why it is important to be self aware. So basically I'm going to provide a few examples of what I think self awareness is, and then try and show why it is important that we keep this in our minds. I hope you all can relate.

As I brought up earlier in this topic, the ability to have self awareness stems from looking at yourself with honest eyes. Ever notice how easy it is for so many people to criticize the lives of others, yet people are rarely able to apply that to their own lives? Picture someone that constantly talk down on other people, but this person doesn't ever say anything bad about themselves. I'm sure this is something that most of us have done before, and if we're being honest with ourselves, it is something that many of us probably do on a regular basis. It is definitely not something to be proud of in my opinion, but again we're trying to look at things from an honest point of view here. I personally believe that much of this way of thinking comes down to self preservation. We're all guilty at times of diverting attention from ourselves in order to serve our own self interests. Another negative trait that this stems from is jealously as well. When a person is jealous of another person for whatever reason(s) that may be, it is much easier for the jealous person at hand to direct negative energy towards someone else. There are various things that can cause us to direct negativity towards others, and I could probably go on and on about the traits and habits that cause people to do this. Now what do negative habits such as pride and jealously have in common? I'm sure we can come up with a few things they share, but the thing that really stands out to me is that they come from internal issues within us. These negative traits don't have anything to do with what others may do to us. They are internal traits within us that we project unto other people, and that is where the issues lie in my opinion. I believe that much of the reason why we lack self awareness comes from not properly addressing the internal issues that we face within. If a person isn't happy within their own life, or course it is easier for them to try and point out the flaws in others. I believe gaining or having a sense of self awareness can help us combat against some of these negative habits. I say this because instead of always putting the onus on others, you look for ways to address the issues in your life that come from within.

From my perspective on this subject matter, I believe that someone that has the proper amount of awareness of themselves are able to sustain themselves longer in all aspects of life. Those of you that are frequent readers here know that I often use sports to make examples of the topics that I discuss. I'm going to use another sports related example here also, however, I think the example that I'm going to use can also be applied when it comes to getting older in general. Imagine an aging athlete that is still participating in whatever sport they're a part of. Now we know that with age comes decline in abilities right? Besides the obvious reasons such as potential injury and future health related problems, a decline in skills is another major reason why athletes are encouraged to retire. Most athletes that still participate at an advanced age just can't contribute in the manner they did when they were younger. Now being that most athletes have huge egos and outspoken personalities, many of them have a difficult time acknowledging when it is time to let go. Having the right amount of self awareness would be beneficial to those athletes that still believe that they're able to do the same things they done when they were much younger. A self aware athlete would likely know where their level of skill is at, and they would have the ability to adjust their game to fit their strengths at whatever stage of their career they're in. A veteran linebacker in the NFL may not be able to move sideline to sideline like he once did, but he may be able to plug up the middle keep running backs from getting shorter yardage. An advanced age linebacker may not be able to tackle like he once did, but he may have the knowledge and veteran leadership to understand all of the defensive schemes. He may not have the physical skills anymore, but his knowledge may allow him to properly lead a defense. I know that not everyone can relate to this example, but I think you can get the gist of what I mean. Again, it is all about being able to look at yourself with honest eyes.

The main reason for my bringing up the topic of the importance of self awareness comes from knowing first hand how hard it can be to view yourself with honest eyes. I know this is something that many of us either struggle with, or have struggled with in the past. Being honest with yourself when it comes to issues that you may be facing in your life isn't an easy thing do. We all have aspects of ourselves that we may not be happy with. The insecurities that we keep within ourselves are much of the reason why we focus on the flaws of other individuals. Diverting the attention from ourselves towards other people isn't going to help us out in the long run. Also, it is hard for me to imagine that people that engage in downing other people because of your own insecurities are truly happy within themselves. Having self awareness will allow you to not only look at yourself with those honest eyes that I've brought up several times already. It also gives you the tools and knowledge that you will need to work on fixing those aspects of yourself that you may not be happy with. It's okay if you're not the best person in this world, but it's not okay if you know that you're not being a good person and you don't even try to change it. It is okay if you can't run as fast as you did when you are younger. It's not okay if you think you can do things the same way you once did to the point where you're putting your own health in danger. This is all about being aware of where you are in your life, and being able to properly access yourself honestly. Again, this isn't an easy thing to do and if you are interested in going down this rabbit hole of self awareness, you will have to come face to face with things about yourself that you honestly won't like. You may find a lot of hurt and pain on the journey of self awareness, but you can also learn how to become a better version of yourself if you maintain an open mind.

I think that pretty much sums up what I wanted to discuss for this go round, so I'm going to go ahead and leave it there. Thank you all for those of you that tuned into another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Of course if anyone has any feedback or opinions, feel free to do so in the comment section. You can also hit me up on Twitter @BradrickH. It is so hard to believe that the next time I discuss something on here will be in December. It just amazes me how life seems to speed up so fast the older you get. At least it feels that way for me, but I know people that have told me the exact same thing also. This year is quickly coming to an end, so lets try and make this last month or so the best that we can. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, and I will see you all on the next go round. Till then, take care everyone! Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Why Being A Forward Thinker Can Benefit You In Your Life.

Tweet

There's a pretty famous quote that goes; "You know where you've been, but you don't know where you are going." This is one of those sayings that many of us have heard since we were knee high. This particular quote is derived from the idea that we can only know what has already happened in the past, and that the future is full of unknowns. Though it can be scary at times, one of the most honest facts of life is the unknown that comes along with the thought of what will happen in the future for us. Where do we see ourselves in five years from now is a question that we're often tasked to answer from others. Some of us may ponder on how long our lives are going to last, and the manner in which our lives will come to an end. These are a couple of examples of questions that we as people ask ourselves in regards to the future. We all know of both the past and the future, but we're also aware of what comes in between those two; the present. The importance of living in the present is something that I've addressed via this platform on many occasions. I believe that being in the present as much as we possibly can is the best tactic we can use to get the most out of this life. When you really consider the sum of the past, present and future, all we really have is the moment that we're in. Now in saying that, I'm also a huge advocate of the importance of being a forward thinker as well. What exactly is forward thinking some of you may wonder? There are various meanings and definitions that can define what forward thinking is. My personal perspective on it means looking forward to what is possibly ahead. Basically, I see it as the same thing as planning for the future. Now if the future is unknown and worrying about what is to come in the future can detract us from the present moment, why would I have such a belief in being a forward thinker? Though the future may be unknown, planning for it can have benefits. The best way to plan for the future is by being a forward thinker.

Hey, what's going on people? This is Brad H. back at it once again to present you all with another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! For those of you that may be new here, this is a hub that I use to curate my thoughts and ideas on topics that I feel will help inspire us all in our daily lives. For those of you that have visited already or may be frequent visitors, you already know how the drill works. Regardless of whether you're a long time reader or a first time viewer, I appreciate every single one of you that take a few minutes out of your day to spend a few moments here. Before going into the topic that I'm addressing for this week, I want to talk about the recent midterm elections that were held here in the United States a few days ago. I know there are a few races that are still going on, and there are some that are likely going to have some recounts take place. I know I've mentioned this before on here, but after a lot of the things I saw and read on social media the night of the elections and the days after, all I could do was shake my head to myself. There was so much anger and bitterness being expressed by people that didn't like the outcome(s) of the election. Now don't get me wrong, it is understandable when someone you voted for loses, etc. However, we live in a country where the majority wins out, so regardless whether the candidates you voted for win or not, we have to respect the decisions and the process. Being angry and bitter towards others doesn't do any good, and instead of making a case for why the person you voted for should have won, you do more damage to them in the long run. You help your cause more by giving more positive reasons why you voted for someone rather than being so negative because the person you voted for lost. Most of you already know that I don't like talking about politics on here, and much of the reason for that comes from exactly what I saw a few days ago. That's pretty much all I'm going to say about that. I think I may have another election related topic that I want to address via my soapbox, but I'll probably wait until the next topic to do that.

Now that I've talked about something that doesn't have anything to do with this week's topic, it is time for me to give the regular disclaimer that I give before giving my perspective on the topic that I'll be covering. I give this disclaimer as a way to show that I'm not perfect, and that just because I see something in the manner in which I do doesn't mean that it is the right or wrong way. I just present my viewpoint on the subject, and hopefully my perspective can serve as inspiration for someone else. Each of us have different outlooks and ways of viewing life. The objective here isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to hopefully be a spark that inspires others to see a topic in a manner in which they may not have before. We're all free to think and believer whatever we want, but for those of us that try and be open minded to the ideas of others, we also know how life changing it can be when someone else convey ideas that we may not have considered before. The ideas that I plan on presenting may not be anything new to some of you out there, and that is totally fine as well. Again, whatever you believe or think in regards to this topic or any of the others that I've went into, I'm glad to have everyone that is here. So how did I arrive at this topic? Well as I often do regularly, I was watching some videos on Youtube last week, and I happened to come across a video that mentioned the idea of being a forward thinker. The actual video itself wasn't about forward thinking. The forward thinking aspect was just something that was mentioned within the content of the video. A few days passed, and the thought of forward thinking continued to weigh on my mind. Whenever something is heavy on my mind, that signifies to me that it has some sort of relevance to me. When it came time for me to construct this content for this blog, I thought about the idea of forward thinking, and I figured I would give my own personal perspective on it. The main thing that I want to do with this installment is give a few examples of how some of us lack forward thinking. Next, I'm going to attempt to explain why being a forward thinker can be beneficial to our lives. Again, this is all my own personal perspective, so lets go ahead and get into it.

We've already established that forward thinking can have various definitions and ways to be described. When it comes to the business world for example, a forward thinking individual likely has a mindset of innovation. They're always thinking of ways to come up with innovative products and services that can make a mark in the business world. When it comes to a subject like politics, a politician that is forward thinking probably has a progressive state of mind. This individual is likely trying coming up with policies and bills that push a country's agenda forward. Those are a couple of examples that are specific to various realms that could define what forward thinking is. But what exactly does it mean to be a forward thinker when it comes to life as a whole? I already stated earlier that my own personal definition of forward thinking when it comes to life is being aware of what is possibly coming in your life. However, if the future is unknown like many of us believe it to be, how exactly can you be a forward thinking individual? Unlike the examples that I gave previously where those areas can have a certain level of control and regulation to them, life itself doesn't quite operate in that manner. We all know that life is a similar to a roller coaster ride that has a slew of twists and turns that can send you for a whirlwind. Beyond that, it doesn't always matter how prepared you may be for these twists and turns that life can throw at you. In some cases, even the most prepared people can be taken down by the hardships of life. However, what type of individual do you think is more equipped for what life may throw at them? I'd argue that someone that is more forward thinking would be. My reasoning for this come down to one word; adaptation. A person with a more forward thinking mind will likely have the ability to adapt more to what life throws at them than someone that isn't more of a forward thinker.

So how does being a forward thinker benefit us in our lives? Going back to the adaptation aspect of forward thinking that I mentioned in the last paragraph, an individual that knows how to properly adapt to life will usually put themselves in a position to extend their lives. From my perspective, people that have the ability to adapt their lives and thinking to the changes that occur are the ones that last longer. This mindset not only applies to life in general, but also to sub areas of life like the business and political examples I gave earlier. Y'all know that I bring up sports related example often, so I'm going to go ahead and do it again. Besides enjoying sports so much, I do this because I believe that much of what happens in sports mirrors life in general. Think of an athlete that plays a sport for example. Imagine that the sport that this athlete participates in is beginning to change from how it was when they first started participating in this sport. Lets say that the sport has become more uptempo and fast, whereas it was a slower paced sport when the athlete first started. If the athlete doesn't adjust their game to keep up with how the game is played now, they likely won't be able to extend their careers. When you look at any athletes that participated in their respective sport into their late 30's and early 40's, they likely were forward thinking individuals. They were able to adapt their craft to be able to extend their careers. When it comes to forward thinking and adaptation, we have to have the same approach in our own lives. We have to be willing to look ahead and realize that the way is now isn't always going to be this way. Every single year that goes by brings a change in how this world operates, and those that find a way to change with this world are the ones that increase their chances of survival. Now I'm going to get into how I believe a person can become more forward thinking.

So how do we become more forward thinking individuals? This is one of those questions that won't apply to everyone. Simply put, some people are naturally forward thinkers that can see the bigger picture. For those of us that this may not apply to, we have to learn how to be willing to be open to listening to others. From my perspective, much of the reason why so many of us struggle with planning ahead comes from the fact that we feel that nobody can tell us anything. We have this mentality that we know it all, and that no one else can tell us anything. This is a false mindset, and much of the learning that we receive in life will come from others. We have to be willing to listen and apply what we hear in a constructive way. Going back to the sports example that I gave, the athletes that tend to thrive the most are the ones that are teachable. They listen to what their coaches and mentors say, and they apply what they learn. Being willing to listen and learn is the best way to become more forward thinking in my opinion. I do realize that being more forward thinking isn't something that is talked about much in today's society. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that most of us try to live in the moment as much as possible. Again, there isn't nothing wrong with that, and I do believe it is good to appreciate the moment. However, though living in the moment is important, we also have a future to think about. There is a very profound quote by Malcolm X that goes; "The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." I believe that in order to reap the benefits that could potentially come in the future, we have to be willing to plant those seeds today. Hopefully this gave you all out there something to think about and consider. I know that many of us can be stubborn at times, but it never hurts to at least be open to what others have to say. So I'll just wrap this up by saying lets try to be more forward thinking.

Well I've pretty much said all that I wanted to say in regards to this topic. This has been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' brought to you by Brad H. As always, I hope that there was some understanding and inspiration that could be gained from this. Any questions, comments or feedback is welcomed. You can also hit me up or follow me on Twitter @BradrickH. Well that time of the year where we set clocks back and experience more chilly weather is here. I know that there is some colder weather happening here in the states the next couple of days, so I hope you all stay warm out there. Before I go, I also want to encourage everyone out there to call or visit with someone that you know have a hard time with loss during the holiday season. I know this is the time of the year that many of us enjoy, but it is also a season of memories and loss for those that may have lost a loved one. Well I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I will see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.