As the author James Clear put it so succinctly in his book Atomic Habits, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.… - Yung Pueblo

Thinking that the sole source of your stress is external is an illusion, one that we all fall for until we turn our awareness inward and pay close attention to the way our mind moves. People can certainly do mean or harmful things to us, but the way we perceive and react to what is happening lies within our own mind.

self-awareness helps us overcome blind reactions that make already difficult situations more turbulent. without self-awareness, it is difficult to make choices that differ from those you have made in the past.

The real you is not your initial reaction. The real you is your response that comes after your reaction. The real you is the one who can weave out of the grasp of the past and produce an authentic response that is based in the present.