“Be yourself.”  “Be true to yourself.”

We hear it so much, it almost seems cliche, but what does it mean?

Ancient wisdom advises us to, “know thyself”.

Let’s face it, if we aren’t being authentic in our conversation we are not dealing with things in an honest, real, way.

So, we need some self-knowledge, some self-awareness.

“Know Thyself.” But how?

We pay attention.  To our feeings, to our environment, to our wishes and desires, to our thoughts, our words, our inner life as well as our outer actions and reactions.

Paying attention begins in the present moment.  Here are a few tips to stay present:

1. Bring yourself into the present moment by recognizing how your body feels, are you hungry? tired? inspired? excited? warm? chilly? thirsty? achy? energized?

2. Bring yourself into the present moment by recognizing what’s going on in your environment, what is the temperature like in the room or outside where you are? Is it sunny, rainy, windy? What sounds can you hear, scents can you smell?

3. Notice your breath, take a few slow conscious breaths, breathing in to the count of five, and exhaling to a count of five.  Notice the sound, the temperature of the air as it enters your body cool and exits warmed.

The connection of awareness to self knowledge is made moment by moment as we are willing to be present.

Acknowledge your feelings, moods, thoughts, without judging them as good or bad, positive or negative.  Just notice them.

Notice your reactions to the things going on around you.  Step outside of yourself for a moment and just observe, as if you were watching from a distance.

You might wonder what this has to do with having a difficult conversation, and that is certainly a valid question, and next week we’ll answer that with Part III – Why You Must Make the Conversation About You.

Until next time, be present, be aware, and get to know yourself a little better.

Love & Magic,

Cindie

P.S. If you missed it, here’s Part I – Why You Must Be Willing to Have A Difficult Conversation.

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