Chapter one of ‘What We Never Learned In School’ is focused on the fact that none of us have actually got everything figured out. We look at others as if they have ticked some boxes that we have not ticked off and so, we tell ourselves stories that can lead us up the proverbial garden path. We choose to believe that there is some straightforward version of ourselves out there and that at some point, we will figure out exactly what the right combination is.
When it comes to this first chapter, the focus has been on this theme due to the fact that, at various crossroads in my life, there have been a lot of opinions and looking outward. Take more recently, the post I wrote on ‘Addiction to the external’. It is tempting to look for external validation (it’s totally natural) but of course, this can mean that we have conflicting opinions and ideas of who we are and what we should be doing.
The reality is that those around us are operating from their own paradigms and so, they believe what they are seeing based on past conditioning. A paradigm can stem from any range of past experiences and beliefs and is essentially, seeing through a lense based on a belief. For example, a woman experiences someone shouting at them who is a male and that person quickly brand him as a sexist rather than the fact he is simply having a bad day.
So, what does this mean and how can we find ways to centre ourselves on our own purpose and what we are doing with our lives?
Breakdown
Journalling exercise – In order to know where we are going, it is important to reflect on where we have gone. Ask yourself some questions, grab a notebook and write it out.
Here are the questions:
Do you require accountability or do you have what you need on your path right now?
How is your self-awareness muscle?
- As you navigate your life path, it’s important to recognise what’s going well and also, where there are gaps to fill and understand.
- Ask yourself, ‘ what areas do I want to work on or improve?’ This will guide you towards your path of growth and what to reflect on daily. It allows you to take pride in how far you’ve come while remembering you still have work to do.
Try out the self-awareness exercise from Chapter One and let me know how it goes.
Keep posted for further updates.