142 – The Habit Of knowing Yourself - a podcast by Alf Herigstad

http://www.beingabettermanpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_0996.jpg ()


THE HABIT OF KNOWING YOURSELF…
You may have noticed that I repeat a lot of the same words and phrases during these shows.  You know, like;  the things you focus on expand, and your relationships are the most valuable things you possess, excuses don’t exist, and things like that.These things I repeat from time to time are important things, they are part of the foundation that makes up the entire philosophy here at the being a better man podcast.  Today I want to expound on one of those things that I often repeat.
Knowing yourself, and being true to yourself.  These are two slightly different concepts but they are tied together…because it’s impossible to be true to yourself, if you first do not know yourself.Knowing yourself comes up a lot.  I have provided you on several occasions with tips and tricks to know yourself better and why it is so important.  I’ll go over it again for the sake of any new listeners.
First, the reason so many people don’t know themselves well is because we lie to ourselves.  I think humans are the only animal capable of this, but we do it all the time.  We lie to ourselves about who we are and what we stand for, even about what we truly believe in.  We do this because it’s natural for us to all want to think the very best, especially about ourselves.  Then, after a time, we come to believe the lies.  So many people are walking around with a false, inaccurate perception of who they really are.This becomes a problem when something unexpected happens.  Suddenly you find yourself acting or reacting in ways that are not consistent with who you believed yourself to be.  Depending on the situation, that can be a big problem, it can even be dangerous or life altering.
Not knowing yourself well is also a problem when it comes to improving yourself.  All of you listening to this program are here because you want to become a better person.  Well, if you have not made the effort to truly know yourself…then how will you know what things really need to be improved?  How will you direct your focus if you aren’t being honest with yourself in the first place?The other component of this is that we are always changing, so we never finish the task of knowing ourselves.  I’m a different guy than I was 10 years ago, so if I stopped trying to know myself back then I would not recognize the changes that have occurred in me since.  So that is a refresher on the importance of knowing yourself.The other thing I said I would talk about, is being true to yourself.  Like I said earlier;  it’s impossible to be true to yourself, if you first do not know yourself. 
When I talk about being true to yourself I’m talking about never compromising your personal values and beliefs.  I’m talking about always acting in a way that is consistent with who you are and what you stand for.  We can’t begin to be true to these things unless we know what they are.  We wind up trying to be true to how we think we are…and that almost never works out because ultimately we are betrayed by the reality of who we are.I don’t tell anyone how to act, or what to do, or how to think on this show.  My message is pretty simple; decide who you are and what you believe, and be true to that.  Each man must also decide for himself what it means to be a better man.  It’s something that must be realized, rather than taught. 
What values do you hold in high regard?  What character traits do you assign to being better?  What behavior do you find unacceptable or acceptable?  These are all questions you need to ask yourself…and then act on the answers.I realize it may not be what you are used to.  In our modern cultures there are many different organizations, groups, institutions and subcultures that tell us what to think and how we should act.  They tell us what is good and bad, right and wrong, and expect us to comply.
We become conditioned by society to look for these...

Further episodes of Being A Better Man

Further podcasts by Alf Herigstad

Website of Alf Herigstad