Self-Awareness

In many of my past newsletters, I have discussed the struggles I have faced as a parent and my strategies used to navigate them, as well as how they have influenced my coaching career. 

It has me thinking of a topic I don’t believe I’ve broached, but I've been reflecting on lately: self-awareness. 

I wrote last week about how, when my son was in high school, I did a good job of watching, but not of seeing, and how that impacted our relationship. 

Self-awareness was the key to turning that around (and a nudge from a close friend). 

Without self-awareness, I would never have been able to see what my friend was saying. 

I would have stayed blind to the damage I was doing to our relationship. 

Instead, I chose to remain open to criticism. Receive feedback without defensiveness. And I sought the advice of a coach and started to do the work on myself. 

I started listening to myself and to others. I asked my son what he needed, instead of assuming. I treated him with the same respect that I wanted him to treat me. 

And as I watched the relationship change for the better, I became inspired to encourage the same change in others. 

Developing self-awareness was hard. Being the parent my son needed is worth it. 

Don’t be afraid to do the work. And if you need some help, I’m happy to be your guide.

Xoxo,

Dr Jain