Self-Awareness Is the Launchpad for Personal Growth

There’s something about this time of year that brings a sense of reflection and renewal. Whether you’re starting a business, restructuring your team or mulling over the idea of adding new training and leadership skills to your repertoire, our goal is to inspire you to move the needle forward.

The theme of this issue is aligned with that very mission. Self-awareness sets the stage for personal growth and professional advancement, both of which require a deep dive into where we are and where we want to go. To understand what it means to be successful and to transform teachable moments into action, we must recalibrate our thoughts and ideas.

Discovering self-awareness and personal growth with Kris Carr

For this issue, I had the pleasure of interviewing international wellness expert, author, filmmaker and self-made business owner Kris Carr to find out how she turned a life-changing illness into a business that’s changing people’s lives daily. Her story perfectly depicts how self-awareness can bring success into an entrepreneur’s life: It takes courage to look within, understand yourself and carve your own path.

Carr says the journey to self-awareness provides the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and face new challenges head on. Let’s face it: We come across hurdles every day as business owners and leaders—and we all deal with circumstances differently. However, those who can see a broader perspective seem to prevail.

Personally, I’m taking notes from Carr’s inspiring story. Incredibly, she has lived with an incurable form of cancer for 20 years but continues to push the envelope and build her empire. During our sit-down, I learned that no matter where we are in our personal and professional journeys, it’s important to reflect and reevaluate our entrepreneurial missions. It’s also critical to be aware of what might be holding us back and to recognize what we need to succeed. Often, the answer is within.

The more we know about ourselves, the better we are at navigating our businesses with intention and motivating others to do the same. After all, none of us have the same perspectives, stories or influences. However, when we combine our unique experiences, we can move the needle forward together.

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by ©Mike D’Avello.