Enhancing self-awareness & self-esteem

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

In the first lesson, I have learnt more about self-awareness and self-esteem.Self- awareness refers to the knowledge and understanding of oneself. With self-awareness, one is able to present himself appropriately, create the impression he wants and open up to communicate and interact with others effectively. By doing so, he will have a better understanding of himself, thereby bringing about changes in his life. For instance, in my case, I am a rather pessimistic person, and have little faith in my abilities; say academic wise. Now that I have aquired knowledge on self-awareness, I understand that it is important to realise our weakness and work on them instead of disregarding and neglecting them as it can dampen one's confidence. Self-awareness can be enhanced by obtaining feedback from others, engaging in reflection, observing oneself, being open and interacting with diverse individuals. Often, we are unable recognize our character or personality. However, if we socialize and interact, friends will indentify our imperfections. Thus, we should accept their remarks with a positive mentality and change for the better if there is a need, instead of being arrogant. I was also introduced to the Johari’s Window, a frequently used model to improve people’s self-awareness. If one’s public self is big, then the private self will be small; since there’s limited information one chooses not to share. If my public self is small, my blind spot will be big as I am unaware of the aspects of my behavior.

Self-esteem refers to how we value ourselves. I have realized that whether our self-esteem is high or low depends on how we feel about ourselves as well as the values, beliefs and attitudes we hold. A person with self-esteem is assertive and positive. He feels that he is able to cope in life, able to overcome most challenges and accepts himself for who he is. In contrast, a person with low self-esteem is often pessimistic and focuses on his failures and dismisses success. In fact, he feels that he has limited influence over the changes that arises in his life. Therefore, self-esteem is important as it determines the choices we make, and ultimately the measures we take to make adjustments in Life. With self-esteem, one is able to make judgments, handle pressure and overcome challenges. I have learnt that the first step to building self-esteem is to appreciate and recognize myself as a unique individual. Focusing on strengths and being confident in these areas definitely helps in fostering self-esteem.

Finally, I find today’s class significant because the understanding on both self-awareness and self-esteem has an impact on our lives. Learning more about them helps us to become a person with self-confidence. In fact, I feel that both self-awareness and confidence are inter-linked because we have to accept ourselves before we are able to feel confident. As such, I can see that a successful person is usually one with self-awareness and self-esteem.

An optimistic person will view setbacks as not failures. They don’t get demoralized upon encountering obstacles. Instead, they will analyze the problem and view them as opportunities to grow. They are aware of what they are doing, have faith and persevere.Learning both aspects enable me to become a person who is really secured and assured.

Reference: Powerpoint Slides