11 Dimensions of Self Awareness

As a prelude to my upcoming interview and cover story on the ‘11 Dimensions of Self Awareness’ for the International Mentors Magazine later this year, I’ll be posting here a series of weekly articles starting early October.

These articles deal in great detail on what Self-awareness is all about, how to develop it and the benefits of achieving it. I’ll also write about how one can use this information to balancing their lives in both their inner and outer lives.

People are living and working in an increasingly uncertain, unstable economic and social climate. Many feel frustrated and stressed in their work and home lives. They know that stress damages the body, mind and spirit, yet they feel caught in its trap. 

I think these conflicts are so common because people are conditioned to frame the problem incorrectly to begin with. That is, there's no way to balance work life and home life, because both exist on the same side of the scale - what I call your "outer" life. On the other side of the scale is your personal, private life - your "inner" life. Instead of thinking about how to balance work life and home life, try, instead, to balance your outer life and inner life.

There are 4 dimensions (People, Productivity, Tasks – also known as KARMA to those familiar with the Bhagavad Geetha, and Leadership) in the work life and another 4 dimensions (Family, Social, Financial – aka ARDHA and Ethics & Beliefs – aka DHARMA) in the home life for a total of 8 dimensions in the Outer life. With the 3 dimensions of body, mind and spirit/soul in the Inner life; you now have eleven dimensions overall to deal with and achieve harmony, joy and success in your life.

When Buddha began his teachings, his intention was to lead us into a realm of awareness so that we are awakened to Buddha’s insight and wisdom. Through this awareness, we can strive to become equals to the Buddha. Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha because he had realized the truth of life in the universe (self-awareness). With perfect compassion, he then proceeded to teach all being about this truth thus helping others to achieve enlightenment (enlighten others). Therefore, he is truly an enlightened person who possesses the quality of self-awareness, the ability to enlighten others, and complete enlightenment.

Increasing your self-awareness and living authentically takes time, practice, and patience - but the rewards are well worth it! It’s a very spiritual journey. It connects you to your Self, to your family, to your community, and to the world. I hope that you will join me in these articles to explore and share this enlightenment to achieving inner peace spiritually.