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About the process
The process of becoming self-aware
begins by seeing that we, ourselves, really do
have negative thoughts, attitudes and emotions,
belief systems and desires. The next steps -
inner child work and meditation - go hand in hand
and are the means by which we become self-aware.
They teach us how we came to be the person we are
today. Armed with self-awareness, self-respect
and resolution of inner child issues, our lives
take on new meaning. The pain and negativity from
the past seem to magically disappear: Not because
we're ignoring it or medicating it, but because
we have dealt with the past. We become less
inclined to judge, criticize and condemn because
we know that we are all the same - we are all
capable of anything, given the right
circumstances. Self-awareness enables us to
forgive, it frees us from dwelling in the past
and it enables us to truly treat others as we
would like to be treated, without needing them to
respond in kind. This does not mean that we must
allow others to treat us poorly, but it does mean
that we become empowered to say 'no' to
unreasonable demands or abusive treatment without
feeling guilty, angry or resentful - without
going on a drinking binge, or a shopping spree,
or a cleaning frenzy, or whatever our favourite
self-punishment or -medication happens to be.
It's all too easy to just deny that we ever have
negative thoughts, attitudes or emotions, but
it's seldom our intention to have them.
They just seem to happen, almost like a reflex.
These habitual thought patterns easily slip by
unnoticed. Constant repetition of such negative
messages can only harm us, yet we say them to
ourselves (and others!) day in and day out. It's
not that we're "bad" for having
negative thoughts, attitudes and emotions;
rather, it's up to us to recognize and change
them. The thoughts, attitudes and emotions
(positive or negative) are the great equalizer,
for we all have them - no matter who we are, or
where we live, or what we do for a living. Many
people become frustrated when they make repeated
attempts to change their physical appearance or
surroundings and find that nothing seems to have
changed at all. To truly change self requires
changing the thoughts, attitudes and emotions. |