How to Be Incredibly Self-Aware in 5 Minutes

No fancy meditation tricks

I know you look back at your life in disappointment.

How many things do you notice now as an adult you wish you noticed as a kid? If you just knew an inkling of what you know now, maybe things would’ve turned out differently.

You would’ve kept that friend, you could’ve gone on that vacation, you could’ve straightened out the situation.

The past is the past. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rectify your future. If you weren’t self-aware before you became an adult, you will be now.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Take the wool off your eyes and call a spade a spade.

I know you don’t want to believe your English teacher is a dick, but he/she is.

A million scenarios just went through your mind justifying why you shouldn’t think that way.

“Well, maybe…”

“Well, maybe…”

“Maybe…”

I’m running out of “Maybe’s” here.

The first step of being self-aware in five minutes is calling things for how you see them at that moment. I remember getting wrongly accused of something in kindergarten by a person I thought was my friend. I took the fall for the incident because I didn’t want to believe she was a bad person.

If shit stinks, it stinks. There’s nothing you can do about it. Instead of making excuses for why it doesn’t reek, take a whiff of it…

IT STINKS!

Great, now we’re getting somewhere. That doesn’t take long. Immerse yourself in the shit until you wake up from the stench and you can call it for what it is.

Act on your instincts.

This could be as simple as an email, phone call, or a cut-off.

If it stinks, stay away from it. You can’t go back to it and hope it will magically become a Calvin Klein perfume scent.

Now I’m not saying no one can change. I’m all about inviting people to grow and learn from their mistakes. However, there comes a point where some people are too far gone.

You finally ripped off the bandaid and came to terms with the fact that they reek. Do you want to spend an extra year waiting to see if they change at the expense of your mental health?

That’s not something even the meditation gurus can fix in five minutes.

If someone is causing your mental health to evaporate, cut them off in a second. If you feel that person can be saved, by all means have at it. But once you go to the point of no return, it’s over.

You have to be ruthless to act on your instincts. I cut off about five friends during my senior year of high school because they all made fun of my race. I felt bad at first. Now I’m more rejuvenated than ever.

Think about the long-term benefits of cutting someone off, and you can act on your instincts much quicker.

Final Thoughts

Self-awareness is simple once you get into the nitty-gritty.

All you have to do is call a spade a spade and act on your instincts. I know some people will think this is easier said than done, but what’s holding you back?

A piece of shit?

Don’t let the smell get to you. Understand your power when it comes to being aware of your space. Don’t let anyone crowd your circle who isn’t deserving.

So what are you waiting for?

Cut them off.