Well well well, look who's back with #2. MEEEE!! If you're tuning in from this point, I am turning 30 on September 1st. So I decided to share with you all " 30 lessons in 30 years" EVERY... DAY... THIS... MONTH. We're JUST getting started.
Have you ever heard the phrase "Knowledge of Self"? Well if you haven't baby I need you to climb out from underneath that rock now caaaaauusseee...... yeah. lol. Just so we're all on the same page, I looked up the definition. What came up was this:
self-knowledge [ self-nol-ij, self- ] :
noun
knowledge or understanding of oneself, one's character, abilities, motives, etc.
Now let me tell you what I found interesting about that definition: It's qualified as a noun. Now if you remember, A noun is a person, place, or thing. When we speak of nouns we often imagine something tangible, no? So how can "knowledge" be tangible? Is it a person? Is it a place? Is it a thing? Well, the answer to these questions leads me to lesson number two:
Knowledge of Self is very important:
Introspection is a powerful tool
Knowledge is a tool, a tool is a tangible thing that you can use to build, destroy, create, or let collect dust in a toolbox somewhere. I know I know I know Wikipedia is "not a credible source" blah blah blah, but read what it says the purpose of a tool is: A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment. I Love this! Why? Because knowledge of self (if used correctly) can be used to build, destroy, create, and more importantly extend an individual's ability to modify features of THEMSELVES!
OK, I feel like I'm not making any sense! Let me break it down.
So I spent a long time in life trying to fit in. It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a very different (sometimes called weird) individual. I have found myself praying to the Lord to "Please make me normal". Now that I know me (and I'm still learning more about me), I am so happy he never answered that prayer.
When you know yourself, you are better able to manipulate yourself. What I mean by that is the very definition of manipulate; you become better able to handle or control yourself in a skillful manner. What does that mean? Self-control! It means you can already know how a situation is going to affect you and have a plan in place to get your desired outcome out of that situation. For example, I being someone who gets very nervous tend not to want to do much public speaking. So when I have to speak publicly, I start to get afraid and want to bow out. But I also know that when I feel understood and supported, I am less afraid. So what do I do with those two things that I know about myself? Well, when I am going to be up on a stage speaking publicly, I will do one of 2 things: I will either 1- Say "I'm nervous ya'll" to the audience, or 2- Speak to at least 3 very honest people ( who I trust) with different perspectives and ask them their opinion. Why do I do that? Because in both of those remedies I receive support and I feel understood, thus neutralizing the fear and allowing me to go on.
The more you know about your self the more free you become. It's like when you first get a phone. It's like a brick in your hands. But the more you explore the different features and manipulate the apps, the more you are able to do with it. I went from not knowing how to video call on my phone, to quite literally being able to record AND EDIT... AND POST videos for my youtube channel ALL ON MY PHONE. The more I knew, the more I was able to do. The more you know about yourself, the more you are able to do. Knowledge of Self is a Super Power.
Ya'll get what I'm saying?
Knowledge of self helps you understand how you relate with the rest of the world. It helps boost your self-confidence. It helps you not only understand your needs and emotions but also helps you to communicate them with your loved ones. It even helps you understand others.
There are so many benefits to knowing yourself, and I have been able to reap those benefits on a regular basis since the beginning of this journey. But that's exactly it! You don't just decide you know yourself, it's a journey; and, one of the most important tools to use on that journey is Introspection.
in·tro·spec·tion : /ˌintrəˈspekSH(ə)n/
noun
the examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes.
The more you engage in introspection, the more you begin to understand how your mind works. What makes you tick? What are your triggers? Why do you feel the way you feel? And the more you explore and understand these things, the more invincible you become. It actually helps you not to be easily manipulated. The more you have control over your mind, the less susceptible you are to people and other outside influences gaining control over you.
I really don't know what else to say ya'll! I hope it made sense. Ask me any questions you want. But also, do me a favor: take some time to engage in some introspection of your own. Tell me how it goes.
Thank you for reading! I'll talk to yah tomorrow!
OH! And Check out my youtube video, click here!
- Woods
Lighting up the woods, one Syllable at a time
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