Self awareness is the number one tool which almost all human beings have access to. There is no better person to gauge our emotions than that of ourselves. For instance, with strengthened self awareness, one might recognize negative thought loops, cognitive distortions, and other invasive traits and characteristic of their behavioral history. In doing so, and with strengthened self awareness, one might view these thoughts as opportunities for learning and growth, whereas in the past, these "opportunities" would have resulted in internal or external conflict.
Self awareness, the tool for which we all have, is often challenged by others or ourself as risk aversion, conflict avoidance, internal conflict, and external conflict. Self awareness is most often innate and is also influenced by that of modeling through and by what we have survived throughout our history; what I refer to as Old Mental Muscle. The key to growth and building New Mental Muscle, or skills, tools, and knowledge meant for the present and future, is to bolster this self awareness. Your self awareness can educate you on what you are feeling, how you are responding, or challenged to respond (stuck).
As an example, your self awareness used as a tool might indicate that you have an opportunity to use a new tool based in communication (New Mental Muscle), not to delve into internal conflict (Old Mental Muscle) and/or not to become reactive (Old Mental Muscle) as might be typical of your history. Your self awareness can allow you the time to process, so as not to result in external conflict with others. Self awareness and how you strengthen it through its utilization, will promote growth of self, which can be measured through goals and outcomes developed in planful progression in therapeutic support.
Start small, because every opportunity no matter the outcome, is growth.
-Chris