Self-Awareness and Inner Focus
We had many calls yesterday about strategies and how to grow our business this year. These discussions led me to reflect on the importance of staying grounded in reality and not letting the external environment affect our emotions, whether it’s feeling overly excited or worrying about what lies ahead.
What I mean for resilience here is the ability to bounce back to neutral emotion and being grounded in the present.
Resilience isn’t about suppressing or projecting invulnerability; it’s about understanding and managing our inner world.
The Importance of Looking Inward
Many people approach emotional resilience by looking outward. They focus on external solutions, such as managing circumstances, controlling others, or changing the environment. While these strategies have their place, they are incomplete without an inward shift.
Self-awareness helps us notice the patterns of our thoughts and emotions, giving us the power to respond intentionally rather than react impulsively.
Donald Robertson ’s Stoicism and the Art of Happiness emphasizes this inward shift as a cornerstone of emotional resilience. Drawing from Stoic philosophy, Robertson highlights that our emotions are shaped more by our perceptions than by the events themselves.
By understanding our internal responses, we gain the clarity to navigate challenges more effectively. The discussion yesterday felt like a roller coaster; exciting, unpredictable and thought provoking.
I am quite certain that many of you would resonate with those emotions when it comes to annual strategic planning and collaboration for scaling up the business.
The Practice of Noticing Emotions
Building emotional resilience starts with noticing our emotions. This doesn’t mean judging them or trying to suppress them but observing them with curiosity.
Here’s a simple exercise inspired by Stoicism and mindfulness:
- Pause and Reflect: Take a moment in your day.Anytime you have a quiet moment to check in with yourself. Ask: What am I feeling right now? Label your emotions as specifically as possible (e.g., “I’m feeling frustrated” rather than “I’m feeling bad”).
- Trace the Trigger: Identify what might have triggered the emotion. Was it a comment, an email, or even a fleeting thought? Understanding the source can help you separate the event from your reaction. Viewing it from a bird’s-eye perspective, rather than as the driver, helps detach the emotion from yourself and makes it easier to trace the trigger.
- Reframe the Story: Challenge the narrative you’re telling yourself. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask: Is this situation as urgent as I’m making it out to be? This technique helps you gain a fresh perspective and rationalize your emotions.
Self-Awareness in Team Development
Self-awareness isn’t just an individual skill; it’s a cornerstone of effective teams. When team members understand their own emotional triggers and communicate openly about them, they create a culture of trust and psychological safety. Leaders who model self-awareness set the tone for this environment, encouraging others to do the same.
One way to foster team-wide self-awareness is by introducing regular reflection practices.
For example, during team meetings, create space for each member to share one challenge they faced and how they managed their emotions. This simple exercise normalizes emotional self-awareness and reinforces the idea that resilience is a shared journey.
We did this yesterday in our team too, and it fostered trust and psychological safety within our team environment which I believe is the key ingredients for growth.
Shifting Focus Inward
Ultimately, emotional resilience grows when we shift our focus inward, understanding that we can’t always control external circumstances but can always control our responses.
In the words of Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher:
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
We reminded ourselves again that what we intend to do is “our best with the best interest of our clients” while fulfilling our mission statement. No matter what happens; whether the collaboration goes as planned or not, we will remain grounded in our intention to make our belief a reality:
a good life is built on great relationships, and great relationships start with being aware of who you are.
If you are interested to pick up self awareness, check this blog for more practical tips.
This blog is inspired by the lesson “Mindful Stoicism” on the Waking Up app by Donald Robertson, a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist and author of 8 books.
P.S. If you come by to read this. I would like to THANK YOU for a great lesson! 🙂
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