Self-Awareness, Road Rash and Leaning into your Gifts

Self-awareness. Understanding why you do the things you do. These gifts, good or bad, that we have been given or have developed that guide and shape us. We often think of gifts as something tangible to the eye or ear; famous musicians, artists, poets, and scholars, legendary athletes, and scientists, who have made their mark in the world in a way that we can see, feel, and experience. But, each of us has innate traits that make us who we are, beautifully unique and special. These traits are significant in formulating our path, decisions and destination.

I spent a few days with a leadership team that I get to be a part of, learning about how our experiences when very young, can be used as a gift or an excuse; where being aware is an exercise, learned through time, road rash, failing, loss, triumph and reward. It was exhilarating and freeing. It wasn't my first time in the workshop. I had taken it four years prior with another company and while I got a lot out of it the first time, I have an additional four years of experiences (all of the above!) that helped me to see the information, insights, aha moments, in a whole new way.

People were brave. They looked deep. They accepted some things. They decided to listen. I have such respect for each of them. What a gift to have had this time with them. Powerful people willing to look into self, abandoning blame and embracing within to find answers and to understand better.

The dynamic of the team was also very powerful and it reminded me that learning in isolation, while necessary sometimes, can also be enhanced by the group vibe, the energy that can be felt tangibly and the exchange of ideas, thoughts and truth-telling that are a rare treasure in our every day to day interactions.

I will admit it. I have been horribly unaware in my life and I look back at pivotal moments when I failed to hear what was being said either by my inner voice or the one right in front of me giving me important cues on how to react, respond, move forward in a positive and impactful way. Which brings me to talk about the familiar feeling of failure. I have spoken much on the topic and there are very good reasons why.

I consider myself pretty self-aware. I am always a work in progress, realizing that the time that I will have it figured out will never be. That continuously improving, checking ego, connecting on deeper levels with myself and others, will be a treasured and difficult path of infinite possibilities and stumbling not really knowing what my finished product will look like but pleased with being just a bit more aware, present, and grateful along the way. But in those insights, let's face it, failure, no matter how important to fully realizing our potential, sucks.

It's a type of road rash. Traveling along the path of life, falling, picking the gravel out of our wounds, getting back up, moving on. How important is road rash to self-awareness? Well, in looking back through the decades, really important. It shapes who you are, if you are aware. Falling is just part of it. It doesn't feel great. But somewhere along the way, most of us have learned to avoid that next time. Maybe not take that same path, avoid the gravel and choose to proceed on a different route.

Some of us don't. Some of us can't figure out why the bad things happen. I am not sure why that occurs but I do know that if this is resonating at all, you have the ability to become more self aware. You can take all of your experiences, good and bad, and find truth and comfort, if you look. You have to look.

How does one become self aware? It takes some time, I'm afraid. Some become enlightened earlier than others but we get a chance to. You know when it happens. It is something that you can feel; it's a spidy-sense, a murmur or it is loud like a bull horn. What you do with it next is where the learning happens. It's your gifts. They are speaking to you. Lean in. Rely on the them. Listen...

Are you humble timid, unobtrusive, reserved, restless uninhibited, casual, team oriented, unselfish, unassuming?

Are you confident, assertive, individualistic, resourceful, venturesome, persuasive, optimistic, relaxed, fussy, precise, arrogant?

All gifts...all with a shadow side. But, gifts anyway. What are your gifts? Do you know? It might be time to become more self aware and take the break, get away from the distractions. These gifts are your super powers AND your Achilles heel. They will literally change your destiny...if you listen and let them.