Self Knowledge is a Superpower
Self knowledge – a term I use a lot in my work as a coach – is one that may sound a bit strange. Why would you want to know more about you? Surely you know enough about yourself by now – in all the years you have been living, you have been the constant throughout. So let me explain…
Self knowledge is about knowing how you work, and why.
Our minds are amazing things, their inner workings help us to live, stay alive, to love and to hurt. We’re very complex creatures, and many of the things happen without any effort on our behalf. They perform many complicated processes every minute of our days. But they can also ‘glitch’ once in a while too. Self talk is an example of this glitch in our system. Our brains talk to us, not audibly – we can hear the words but no one else can. Our self-talk tells us what kind of person we are, if we did something well or badly, and it makes all kinds of assumptions too. One mistake could mean it tells us we are useless or stupid. A wrong word and we’re careless or cruel. This voice can shout louder than the words of others too, which can be damaging if it’s not very kind to you. Self esteem and confidence listens carefully to these words too.
My personal example where I have listened to my self talk that says I am not a creative person. But I’ve learned I am creative – from writing a book, baking cakes or doing crafts with the kids. My creativity has helped me to solve problems, for myself and others, too. My self talk told me that wasn’t a skill of mine, and for a long time I believed it too. It created a label all on its own. By shying away from opportunities to be creative, I wasn’t allowing my actions to prove my self talk otherwise. This powerful voice controlled what I did in my daily life.
Coaching helps to challenge thoughts and behaviours.
From someone who works in coaching, and has been coached myself, I can see the benefits of taking time to do so. Self knowledge has helped me to understand my inner workings, my motivations, and yes – my self talk. Empowering me has meant my inner voice is sometimes agreed with or sometimes argued with. I can choose what I accept to believe about myself, and I can choose what actions I take as a result.
Self Knowledge – a power you can harness
This is why you have to know who you are – its self knowledge. If your self talk is at odds with who you know you are, you can fight it – and win. It’s about knowing your values, your beliefs, your perceptions, and what you believe in. One way you can find all of this out and more, is by regular coaching sessions. This is what I did myself, with another coach, and it bolstered my self esteem and confidence.
As a coach, I won’t tell you what to do. I don’t offer instructions, but help you in seeing another perspective. I know that it’s no good me telling you, you can do this or that. As I said earlier, my voice isn’t as loud as your self talk. You have to believe it yourself, even if that inner voice disagrees. I might know you can do it, 100% have that belief in you – but you need to believe it too. That’s where empowerment coaching fits in – it helps you take power over your mind, and fuels that self belief.
Even if you are new to the idea of coaching, why not try a session to see how it feels. Improve your self knowledge – it can offer you so many benefits. Get in touch today amd start your journey.