Your Personal Culture Awareness

Awareness is such a powerful thing.

Without it, those little changes that could make our life journey so much more beautiful go unnoticed.

Awareness of what?
Our habits for one.
Those things that have become so automatic we don’t even think about them.
Things like how we deal with certain relationships, or respond to conflict, or react to feedback, or even how we celebrate wins. Or don’t.

But also, those things that are underneath that.
Like our motives.

Here’s the thing. Sometimes what seems to be working “well enough” for us is the very thing we may need to examine most.

We do so many things on autopilot, without thinking about why we are doing them, that slowing down to examine our motives takes some purposeful practice.

A key to becoming aware is to be more intentional about noticing.
Noticing not only what we say, but why we say it.
Paying attention not only to what we do, but why we do it.

Those under-the-surface motivations tell a lot about our true selves.
They tell a lot about our personal culture.
How we show up.
And how others experience us when we do.

And a question I keep asking myself daily is this:
Does my personal culture (how I show up) create a place of emotional and psychological safety?
One that can be trusted?
Because that is a core value I carry in my heart. To be a safe place for people to feel seen, heard, known, and valued.
Sometimes our external and internal worlds get out of alignment, though.
What we want to express, we don’t.
The message we think we are giving, we aren’t.

What do people feel when they work with you?
When they work for you?
Hang out with you?
Live with you?

Pay attention to the word “feel”.
The emotions that stir in people when they encounter your presence is significant. Because feelings aren’t forgotten. They store in our subconscious mind. Even if our conscious mind forgets every detail about our interaction, we will associate a feeling with it. Thus, the famous Maya Angelou quote:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

If we create environments where trust is high and people feel seen, heard, known, and valued, people will generally stick around even when times are hard, resources are scarce, and the future is uncertain. Because at the core of every human heart is a desire to be genuinely known and accepted.

When people perceive we truly do know them, appreciate them, and value them (despite all their mistakes and faults) we have created a trust bridge to their hearts that is not easily broken (despite all our mistakes and faults).

How would you like for people to experience you?
What would you like to deposit into the lives around you?
What actions are you taking to create that experience?

Notice. Pay attention.
Become aware of why you are doing what you do.
And stay open to the possibility that there might be a better way.

The culture around you will only shift when the culture within you does.

I am with you on the journey!
Brenda

Free Constructive Communications Assessment

If your desire is to encourage others, build trust, and make a meaningful difference, it helps to understand how your communication is received. This free assessment will help you recognize what’s working well, uncover potential blind spots, and continue growing as a constructive communicator.

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Brenda is a believer in impossible possibilities. In brokenness becoming beautiful. In justice and mercy and honor and power – with love perfecting them all. She is a wife, mom, mimi, daughter, and friend who also enjoys speaking, writing, and coaching.