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Abhisshek Om Chakravarty
Life Coach & Human Whisperer

Self-Awareness: The Key to Unlocking Your True Potential - Abhisshek Om Chakravarty | Holistic Life Coach and Mindfulness Mentor

  • Writer: Abhisshek Om Chakravarty
    Abhisshek Om Chakravarty
  • Sep 2, 2024
  • 9 min read

Updated: Apr 28


Self-Awareness: The Key to Unlocking Your True Potential - Abhisshek Om Chakravarty | Holistic Life Coach and Mindfulness Mentor

Hello there! I'm Abhisshek Om Chakravarty, and I've been helping people grow for over ten years. I've worked with more than 500 people, helping them understand themselves better and make positive changes in their lives. Today, I want to talk to you about something fundamental: Self-awareness.


What is self-awareness?

Well, it's like having a special mirror that shows you what's inside your mind and heart. When you're self-aware, you know yourself really well. You understand why you feel certain ways and why you do the things you do. It's like having a torch that helps you see into the hidden corners of your mind.


Why does self-awareness matter so much?

Let me tell you about my friend Arun. He's 35 and works with computers. Arun used to get very nervous when he had to speak in meetings at work. He didn't know why, and it made him feel bad about himself. We worked together to help him understand his feelings better. Arun realised he was afraid people might judge him. Once he knew this, we could work on making him feel more confident. Now, Arun speaks up in meetings without feeling scared. He's even led some big work presentations!


Self-awareness is crucial because it helps you in many ways. It enables you to make better choices. It makes your friendships and relationships better. It helps you handle your feelings better. It makes you feel more sure of yourself. And it enables you to grow and become an even better person.


So, how can you become more self-aware?

It's like learning any new skill - you need to practice. Here are some things you can try:

Pay attention to how you feel during the day.

Are you happy? Sad? Angry? Excited? 

When you notice a feeling, ask yourself why you feel that way.

What happened to make you feel like this?

Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be really helpful. My client Prabha, who's a teacher, started writing in a notebook every night before bed. After a few weeks, she noticed she often felt grumpy and tired on Mondays. Knowing this helped her make changes. She started going to bed earlier on Sundays and doing some easy exercise on Monday mornings. Soon, her Mondays got much better!


Try new things. Doing new activities can help you learn more about what you like and don't like. Ask people you trust to tell you what they think you're good at and what you could do better. Spend some quiet time each day thinking about your thoughts and feelings.


When you become more self-aware, you'll start seeing fantastic changes in your life. You'll make better decisions because you know what's best for you, and your relationships will improve because you'll better understand other people's feelings.


You'll feel more sure of yourself because you'll know what you're good at. You'll be better at handling stress because you'll know what upsets you and how to deal with it.


You'll have more good ideas because you'll understand your thoughts better. And you'll be happier because you'll know what makes you feel good.


I worked with a man named Rahul, who owns a business. He used to feel stressed all the time. As he got to know himself better, he realised he felt most stressed when he tried to do everything himself. He learned to let other people in his team help with tasks. This not only made him feel less stressed, but it also made his business work better!


Understanding your feelings is a big part of self-awareness. Feelings are like messages from your heart and mind. When you're self-aware, you can tell what you're feeling, understand why you're feeling that way, and choose how to respond to your feelings.

This is helpful in many situations. For example, if you feel angry, being self-aware can help you understand why you're angry. Then, instead of shouting or saying mean things, you can choose a good way to deal with it.


I worked with a mum named Sapna, who used to get very angry when her kids made a mess. As she got to know herself better, she realised her anger came from feeling tired and overwhelmed. She started taking short breaks during the day to rest and found calmer ways to talk to her kids about tidying up. This made her relationship with her children much better!


Knowing what you're good at is another essential part of self-awareness. Your strengths are the things you're naturally good at or enjoy doing. Knowing your strengths makes you feel more confident, choose activities and jobs you'll enjoy, and work better with others by knowing what you can do well.


To find your strengths, think about what activities you enjoy most, what people often say you're good at, and what tasks you find easy that others might find challenging.


One of my clients, Vijay, was trying to choose what to do after college. As he got to know himself better, he realised he was really good at explaining things to others and enjoyed helping people. This led him to choose a job as a teacher, which he now loves!


Your values are what matter most to you in life. They guide your decisions and behaviours. Being aware of your values can help you make decisions that feel right for you, live a meaningful and satisfying life, and choose friends and partners who care about the same things you do.


Some examples of values are honesty, kindness, having adventures, caring for family, and always learning new things. Everyone's values are different, and that's okay!

My client Anita manages people at her job. She realised that one of her most important values was being creative. She had been in a very structured job for years and felt unhappy. Understanding this led her to switch to a more creative role in her company, where she now feels much happier.


When you're self-aware, you can set better goals for yourself. You know what you're good at, what's important to you, and what makes you happy. This helps you set goals that matter to you and that you can achieve.


I worked with a doctor named Raj, who had always set goals based on what he thought he should want. As he got to know himself better, he realised that what he really wanted was to have more time with his family. He set a new goal to work fewer hours, even if it meant earning less money. This decision made him much happier.


Self-awareness can help your relationships with others. When you understand yourself better, you can more clearly tell people what you need and how you feel. You can understand why you react to others in certain ways. And you can better understand other people's feelings and needs.


I worked with a couple named Deepa and Sanjay who needed help with their marriage. As they got to know themselves better, they realised they had different ways of showing love. Deepa liked to talk about her feelings, while Sanjay preferred to show love by doing things like cooking meals. Understanding this helped them appreciate each other's efforts more and made their relationship better.


Self-awareness is like a map for your personal growth journey. It helps you see where you are now, where you want to go, and what steps you need to take to get there. As you become more self-aware, you'll naturally start to grow and change in positive ways.


I worked with an artist named Amit, who used to be very critical of his work. As he got to know himself better, he realised that this criticism came from a fear of not being good enough. We worked on building his confidence and changing how he talked to himself to be more positive. Now, Amit is more creative than ever and has even started selling his artwork!


Becoming more self-aware isn't always easy. You might face challenges like facing difficult truths about yourself, changing long-standing habits, or feeling uncomfortable as you try new things. But remember, these challenges are all part of the process of growing. It's okay to find it hard sometimes.


My recent client, Sonia, initially found it hard to think about what she wanted for herself. She had spent so many years focusing on her family's needs. But as she worked on getting to know herself better, she rediscovered her love for painting. She now spends time each week on her art and feels much happier.


There are many tools you can use to become more self-aware. You can try meditation to help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. You can take personality tests to give you insights into your traits and tendencies. You can ask people you trust to tell you what they see as your strengths and weaknesses. You can set aside time daily to think about your experiences and feelings. You can also read books about understanding yourself and growing as a person.


When I was 12-13 years old, around 1999-2000, I discovered the power of meditation. At that young age, I started with just 5 minutes a day, sitting quietly and noticing my thoughts. It wasn't easy at first – my mind would wander, and I'd get fidgety. But I kept at it, day after day. Over time, I became much more aware of my thinking patterns. I started to notice how my thoughts affected my feelings and actions. This simple practice helped me handle the stress of school and growing up much better.


Mindfulness is another great way to develop self-awareness. I learned that mindfulness means paying attention to what's happening right now without judging it. When you practice mindfulness, you notice your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. You become more aware of your body and how it feels. And you learn to focus your attention better.


As a teenager, this was really helpful. I remember using mindfulness when I felt nervous before exams or when I had arguments with friends. It helped me calm down and think more clearly. I'd take a moment to focus on my breathing or notice how my feet felt on the ground. These simple techniques made a big difference in handling the ups and downs of being a young person.


You can practice mindfulness in many ways, like focusing on your breath, noticing the sounds around you, or paying attention to the taste of your food as you eat.


When I was about 16-17 years old, I started practising mindfulness during my lunch breaks at Intermediate College. I'd find a quiet spot under a tree in the college yard. Instead of rushing through my lunch like I used to, I began to eat slowly, really noticing the taste and texture of my food. At first, it felt a bit odd. My friends would ask why I was taking so long to eat! But I kept at it and soon noticed a significant change. This small practice helped me feel calmer and more focused in my afternoon classes. I even found it easier to concentrate during those tricky physics lessons right after lunch!


As I grew older, I realised that self-awareness is a powerful tool for personal growth, especially when facing challenges. When I was 19, my life took an unexpected turn. I had been preparing for a career in the Indian Navy, but a series of events, including a problematic personal loss and my first relationship breakdown, knocked me off course. For a few months, I felt lost and unsure of my path.


This period was challenging but also taught me much about myself. Through self-reflection and awareness, I began to understand my resilience. I realised that while my original plan had changed, I could still choose a new life direction.


Working through my feelings and thoughts, I discovered new interests and possibilities. Eventually, I found myself drawn to the aviation and hospitality industries. This wasn't a path I had considered before, but as I explored it, I realised it aligned well with my personality and goals.


Making this decision wasn't easy. It required me to be honest about what I wanted and was capable of. However, because I had been practising self-awareness, I could listen to my inner voice and trust my instincts, even when they led me in a new direction.


This experience taught me self-awareness isn't just about knowing yourself in good times. It's also about understanding how you react to setbacks and having the courage to reinvent yourself when necessary. It's about recognising that our paths aren't always straight, but each turn and obstacle can lead to personal growth if we learn from them.


I've learned that getting to know yourself better is something you do throughout your whole life. Even now, at 36, I'm still discovering new things about myself. I've learned to be patient with myself and celebrate small progress.


All these experiences have shaped who I am today and how I help others. They're the reason I'm so passionate about guiding people on their own journeys of self-discovery. Remember, every small step you take in understanding yourself better is a step towards a happier, more fulfilling life.


I hope this has inspired you to start exploring your own self-awareness. If you'd like help on your journey, please feel free to reach out to me. As someone who's been helping people grow for many years, I'm here to support you in discovering your true potential.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you all the best as you get to know yourself better!


Remember, every step forward, no matter how small, is progress. You have the power within you to create positive change.


Om poornamadah Poornamidam |

Poornaat Poornamudachyate |

Poornasya Poornamaadaya |

Poornamevaavashishyate |

Om shanti, shanti, shanti hi ||


Hari Om Tatsat!


Warm regards,

Abhisshek Om Chakravarty, (Coach Abhisshek)

Holistic Life Coach | Mindfulness Mentor | Family Mindset Coach 

"Within each soul lies infinite wisdom; I simply help others uncover their light."





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