Understanding Yourself!

Anne Frank, during world war II has written these words in her diary " Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news!"

Understanding yourself is a very important factor in your growth, to deal with every phase of your personal, social, political and economic life. It is indeed very essential to know the answer to 'who am i?' The answer to this question is not what you think of yourself. You may take pride in yourself as being an honest, loving, industrious person. But who you are will also depend on what others think of you, what they expect from you and what you can become.

Knowing yourself will help you to set your thinking, what you want to achieve in life, to decide where you want to go. You have to be prepared to listen to what others think of you, be it positive or negative. All of us get hurt to hear negative comments about ourselves and so will you. A teenager is more vulnerable and cannot take criticism. But if one listens with an open mind to another person's views about him/her, he/she will understand his/her own self better, and it will have the right effect on his/her life.

No two people are alike in any way, so their opinions will also differ. You will have to appreciate the differences and learn to accept them and not think only of your own needs and priorities. Knowing yourself is nothing but consideration and respect for the other person-Be it a member of your family, a school mate, a teacher or a neighbour-.

Developing tolerance is one of the very important traits one must inculcate intheir lives. Tolerance will save you from needless anger and frustration, and teach you to be poise and calm and develop a healthy attitude towards life and the challenges it throws at you . Being tolerant helps you to coexist peacefully.

An accurate self-knowledge will develop your skills such as thinking skills, social skills and emotional skills. You will understand people around you, accept them as they are and learn to appreciate and love things around you. You will know how to handle your emotions and battle with day to day challenges that crop up. You will learn self-control and avoid bouts of anger and depression, you won't resent the restrictions put on you by your parents, teachers and your environment.

Your self-awareness will help you accept others point of view and you will be empowered to make changes and build on your strengths and weaknesses!