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b"The Benefits Of Self Awareness\\nWelcome back to Pretty Spiritual Podcast. So glad we can be together for today\\u2019s topic: self awareness. First off, what is self awareness? We love this simple definition: being self aware means knowing what we\\u2019re doing when we\\u2019re doing it.\\xa0\\nWe\\u2019re going to look at questions like, why is self awareness important? What happens when there are parts of our lives that are below the level of awareness? How do we check out and dull our awareness? And what tools can help us start to bring these habits and patterns into conscious awareness?\\xa0\\nSelf-awareness is often the link between our\\xa0emotional lives\\xa0and our actions. In other words, when we are practicing self-reflection, we have a choice about how we act. And, conversely, lack of self awareness can mean that we\\xa0cause harm to ourselves\\xa0and others. The unacknowledged parts of our lives can cause us\\xa0great fear\\xa0we don't even know exists. And this fear can actually drive our\\xa0impulses\\xa0and actions.\\nAnd when we\\u2019re stuck in patterns or habits that are causing harm, we\\u2019re usually acting out and repeating dysfunctional learned behaviors. Chances are, we all know what it\\u2019s like to be\\xa0caught in a cycle\\xa0of addictive numbing or checking out.\\nWhile more self-awareness can help us feel better longterm, it can often feel worse in the shortterm. Why? Well, we\\u2019re getting a front row seat to the patterns we\\u2019re not yet able to shift or change. If this is where you\\u2019re at and it\\xa0feels like too much, don\\u2019t worry! This is just the first phase. With continued effort, the space to choose will open up. And often it feels like a moment of grace when it does.\\nSelf Reflection Changes Our Behavior\\nWe know this might sound obvious, but we\\u2019re going to feel stuck until we are aware. Maybe self awareness will start to infiltrate our lives for brief moments. And we can\\u2019t help but be unaware of the stuff that\\u2019s still below the level of consciousness.\\nThat\\u2019s okay, too! When we are stuck in patterns for long enough, we become willing to open our hearts and minds to\\xa0a new experience.\\xa0\\nSelf reflection is the first step to changing patterns and behaviors. Once we see what we\\u2019re doing, we start to get an opportunity to make different choices. The more awareness we have of ourselves, the more space there is for us to choose.\\xa0\\nLike so many other parts of our spiritual lives, self reflection is a muscle. The more time and energy we put into exercising that muscle, the stronger and more flexible it becomes. How can we start? If we look underneath our actions, we have an opportunity to see the attitudes or beliefs that are driving our behavior.\\xa0\\nEspecially when we\\u2019re acting on patterns we learned when we were very young, this comes down to a matter of feeling safe or being okay. For core beliefs that are deeply ingrained, learning and watching out for our triggers can be really helpful.\\nTools For Self Reflection And Growth\\xa0\\nOkay, ya\\u2019ll, let\\u2019s get that wellness and\\xa0spiritual healing! Here come our favorite tools for growing self reflection and gaining awareness.\\xa0\\nOur favorite tool is the A-B-C model, which teaches us that \\u201cexternal events don\\u2019t cause our emotions, but our beliefs do.\\u201d A is the activating event (maybe even in the moment, if we\\u2019re super lucky). B is for the beliefs we formed after the activating event\\u2026 and chances are these are old ones. C is for consequences. What was the result of these beliefs on us and others? You can get even more info on our\\xa0tools\\xa0page.\\nThe good news is that we have more awareness than we\\u2019ve ever had and\\xa0we are exactly where we\\u2019re supposed to be. So we can relax and\\xa0trust ourselves. We see more and more that we\\u2019re creating our reality and our\\xa0relationships\\xa0based on our beliefs. When we look at what\\u2019s going on below the surface, we get the opportunity to live more authentically. Maybe it can even help us\\xa0be softer and easier on ourselves and others.\\xa0\\nPlus, reflecting with other people (especially\\xa0spiritual besties) can help to introduce new perspectives an"