Self awareness is an invitation to see difference

The key I've learned about self awareness isn't that there's a switch to turn on, it's the practice of regularly inviting the possibility of difference.

I thought practicing self-awareness was when you'd sit uncomfortably and listen to what others with a beef about you say what they like and you do your best to not put your hands over your ears.

Wrong. That’s the trap. It's too harsh. You do it once and say nope, not again.

What I learned from diving into the writings of the Stoics and classic philosophers over the past few years is that the path to self awareness isn't to jump off a cliff and see where you land, its taking small regular steps by inviting a slightly different view of yourself from what you typically see.

It’s about saying, “Hmm… maybe there’s a perspective here I haven’t considered.”

Imagine it as opening a door just a crack. You don’t have to throw it open and invite the whole world in, just enough light to see a part of yourself differently.

That small, curious step is how your self awareness muscle starts to grow.

From there, it’s like a workout for your mind.

You ask honest questions, listen past your initial defences, and let new ideas stretch your thinking.

Over time, those tiny invitations build muscles, the kind that make deep reflection, honest self-assessment, and meaningful growth possible.

You start to see the patterns you're part of.

And yeah, it’s uncomfortable. Like realising the challenges you've experienced in your relationships are totally your doing!

But the humour is that it’s also liberating. The more you step outside your own assumptions, the less you’re trapped by them.

You stop arguing with every shadow in the room and start noticing where the light actually falls.

The path to self-awareness I've found isn't a deep dive. It’s a slow steady walk towards yourself. Where you start to see the world and yourself with a little more clarity, and with a little less ego.