DEFINITION
Personal awareness is difficult to define because each person is at
different place in their life and there are so many ways in which a person
can become introspective. In general, personal growth involves discovering
why we think, feel, and act the way we do. Because we are not isolated
from one another, personal awareness includes interpersonal skills and
the development of more trusting, mutual, and respectful relationships
as well. As we gain a broader understanding of the factors that contribute
to our thought, feelings, and actions, we can consciously choose to live
in a way that is more satisfying for ourselves and others.
WHY WE HOLD THIS VALUE IN COMMON
The members of Du•má believe that people who attend to their
personal issues are best prepared to live with other people. We need
to be aware of our motivations to move beyond destructive behavioral patterns
that cause hurt and pain in ourselves and others and to live a more emotionally
empowered, creative, happy, and whole life.
THE REALISTIC LIMITATIONS OF HOLDING THIS VALUE IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR
SOCIETY
We would like to carry on as many of Duma's activities as possible
in a manner that contributes to personal awareness. However, we also
recognize that each of us has numerous hurts from the past to the present
that challenge us every day. In addition, our society barrages us
with messages that perpetuate dysfunctional and destructive behavior, making
it even more difficult for us to understand our true selves.
Nevertheless, we are doing the best we can to become aware of who
we are and why we do what we do while providing a model for society at
large.
WHAT'S EXPECTED OF DU•MA MEMBERS TO UPHOLD THIS VALUE
From experience we have found that to create a sustainable community
requires a willingness of members to invest personal energy towards understanding
themselves at a more deep level.
THE DIFFERING ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO UPHOLD THIS VALUE
We also recognize that as individuals and as a group we have a limited
capacity to understand ourselves with everything else going on in our lives.
For a variety of reasons (age, class background, cultural background),
some people are less able to attend to personal awareness than others.
We hope to provide a supportive atmosphere to help one another become more
introspective at a realistic rate that doesn't strain the social fabric
of the community.
EXAMPLES
The following partial list provides examples of activities that individuals
and/or Du•má as a group believe contribute to personal awareness.
We have incorporated some of the examples into our daily lives to differing
extents; other examples hopefully will be possible for individuals and/or
the group in the future.
THE CLOSE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THIS VALUE AND THE OTHER VALUES WE EMBRACE
Personal awareness is closely associated with other values Du•má
embraces. To create a healthy, enduring community, we must
understand who we are so we don't project our own distress onto others.
As we become more personally aware, we find it easier to lead a more ecologically
sustainable lifestyle because we are less compelled to follow social messages
to consume. Further, we become more accepting and appreciative of
people from diverse backgrounds when we understand that other peoples hopes
and fears are similar to our own. Finally, as we get in touch with
our own true needs we feel less need to be in control of others and begin
to desire a more egalitarian society.