Today at a Glance
Today we dissect the most powerful tool on this planet for sustainable success—self-awareness.
In this issue, we explore the “origin” of self-awareness and how it can help you make better decisions, stay mentally sharp, and achieve your goals.
From the ancient Greeks to modern-day mindfulness practices, we examine the history and significance of self-awareness and provide actionable tips and resources for building this essential life skill.
This is the mental part of personal growth and holistic fitness.
Let’s dive in…
Weekly Wisdom on building self-awareness
As Socrates famously said, “Know thyself.”
Self-awareness is the foundation of mental fitness. Understand your strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations to stay mentally sharp and make better decisions.
The Origin:
In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was a priestess at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. She was considered the most prestigious oracle in the classical world.
People sought her advice on various matters, including personal and political decisions. It is said that “Know Thyself” (The Self-Awareness Credo) was inscribed on the entrance to the temple and was part of the Oracle’s guidance.
The Application:
Philosophy
Socrates, the renowned ancient Greek philosopher, made self-awareness (“Know Thyself”) a cornerstone of his philosophical approach.
He believed that self-knowledge was the key to living a virtuous and meaningful life.
Socrates famously claimed that he was the wisest person in Athens because he alone recognized his own ignorance and was constantly in pursuit of self-knowledge.
Lesson: Self-awareness involves not only recognizing one’s strengths but also identifying one’s weaknesses and areas where improvement is necessary.
Self-Examination
Self-awareness implies engaging in deep self-examination and introspection. It’s a cornerstone for deep inner work.
We often encourage our clients to question their beliefs, values, motivations, and actions.
Through this process, they can uncover their true nature, strengths, weaknesses, and desires.
"The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions."
Monthly Mastery—Holistic Fitness
Holistic Fitness is not a fad or a new trend. It’s been around for millennia. Yoga for instance is one of the most well-documented holistic fitness systems in history. The Chinese, the old Greeks, and the Romans had theirs too. And so had the Native Americans.
They all knew for optimal performance & well-being we need physical fitness, mental clarity, emotional balance, and spiritual connection to achieve sustainable success.
Self-awareness is a muscle. You build strength one mindful experience at a time.
Develop a deep and insightful understanding of the fundamental truths and principles of life. Every one of us has the power to tap into true wisdom.
Here are the most important traits and habits you need to develop for higher self-awareness:
Self-Reflection
Knowing yourself starts by asking challenging questions about your
- character,
- ethics, and
- purpose in life.
For higher self-awareness, you need to critically examine your thoughts and behaviors.
How to do that?
- Start by setting aside dedicated time for self-reflection. It can be as simple as a daily journaling practice.
- Ask yourself fundamental questions about your values, beliefs, and motivations in life. Questions like “What matters most to me?” or “What are my core principles?” become your north star for a happier, healthier life.
Humility
Embrace the idea that you don’t know everything (and most likely never will). Acknowledge your limitations like Socrates. His assertion above tells that he was wise because he recognized his ignorance.
Mindfulness is our universal tool for building self-awareness.
Mindfulness can involve meditation practices (but it doesn’t need to). The benefit: you become more attuned to your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations.
Virtue and Success
Self-awareness is the prerequisite for leading a virtuous and successful life. Understand your values and ethics on a deeper level. You’ll make better choices that align with your core identity principles.
And here’s the easy entrance:
Identify and clarify your core values.
What principles guide your decisions and actions?
Create a list of your top values.
Our top 5 values are
- Health
- Purpose
- Sustainability
- Passion
- Performance
It’s the framework that guides our decision-making.
Then think about how well your current life aligns with them.
Personal Growth
Knowing yourself is the ultimate journey of life. There’s no higher mountain to climb. Personal growth and self-improvement are about summiting one peak at a time in small simple steps.
Every peak needs you to identify areas for development and deliberate work toward becoming the best version of yourself.
Exercise: Life Story Analysis
Grab a pen and paper. Reflect on your life experiences. Include both—positive and negative events.
How have these experiences shaped you? What have you learned from them?
Keeping a life story journal is a great way to document key moments and insights—the AHA moments in life.
Resource Discovery on building self-awareness
Embracing your authentic self is significant. Authenticity is about aligning your higher self with what you do on a daily basis.
Societal conformity often is NOT our true essence.
Each of us is a unique and valuable being. True authenticity will lead to more personal fulfillment and stronger connections with others.
Self-awareness often is self-acceptance. And we need that to live a genuine and purposeful life.
Being yourself (your true identity) has a transformative potential.
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
What’s going on in our world
The last few days of our incredible Mexican adventure have arrived.
Our return flight to Europe is on September 11th.
This week, we had two very interesting meetings on two topics that are very close to our hearts:
- Mental well-being & stress prevention
- Sustainability
If you have been following our journey, you know that we have been actively working on those topics for a while.
Our mission is to help as many people as possible in their journey towards living a happy, purposeful life full of energy, while also caring for and protecting the magic of mother nature.
We will share more information about our projects soon.
That’s a little throwback to our excursion to Uxmal a few months ago. We never shared this one…
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus
