The Art of Analyzing Yourself in Difficult Situations

3 simple steps: Stop. Breathe. Watch what happens inside your mind before doing or saying anything.

• Whenever you find yourself facing a problem, your unconscious mind is going to kick in and you are going to react like you usually do when something like that happens.

• It’s like your body telling you, don’t worry, I got this, I know how you do that, so we’re going to do that in the same way as always.
• So if when someone yells at you or tells you off, your typical reaction is to sweat, put your head down and not say anything, you’ll do that every time that happens.

• On the other hand, if you usually reply to them and try to win the argument no matter what, then that’s what will happen.

• We’re conditioned by the neuronal pathways that our brain has been creating all our life, and those depend on what situations we have faced and how we’ve handled them.

• It’s something that happens really fast and it’s automatic, because it’s engraved in your brain.

• The neurons and genes involved in the process, know the way and go there without hesitation and without asking.

• If you really want to dig deeper into what happens inside of you when you find yourself in a difficult situation, you will need to stop for a second and start being more self-aware by observing how you react when that happens.

The key is to not let yourself act or speak impulsively. You need to be able to be the observer of your thoughts and take conscious action.

• You’re going to use those seconds that go between the external event and your reaction to it, to quickly evaluate what comes automatically to your mind and reassess if that’s really how you want to handle it.

• That time between the event and the reaction… there’s where your superpower is.

• So, if suddenly you’re in the middle of an argument with somebody and they start yelling at you and trying to undermine your opinion, and you usually don’t reply because you feel your less than them…

• Before adopting that submissive attitude one more time, stop. Breathe. Watch yourself and the thoughts that go through your mind and decide if you want to change that.

Be conscious, do not let the unconscious mind make the choices for you.

• That’s the way you really start to know yourself, your real you, not the one that’s just been constructed by past events and decisions, the one that’s in charge, in control, consciously.

Enjoy the ride, my friend! ;)

Image Link: Alex Green

SUMMARY

when faced with a problem or difficult situation, our unconscious mind often takes over, causing us to react in familiar ways based on our past experiences. These reactions are automatic and engrained in our brain due to the neural pathways that have formed throughout our lives. To gain a deeper understanding of our reactions, it is essential to pause and become more self-aware, observing how we respond in these challenging moments. The key is to avoid acting impulsively and instead become the observer of our thoughts, taking conscious action. By utilizing the brief seconds between an external event and our reaction, we can evaluate our automatic responses and decide if they align with how we truly want to handle the situation. This self-awareness and conscious decision-making process empowers us to break free from conditioned patterns and choose our actions more deliberately. By being mindful and intentional, we can uncover our authentic selves and take control of our lives, rather than allowing our unconscious mind to dictate our choices.