By: Francesca Mundrick
In a rapidly changing world, it is perhaps more important than ever that we find peace in ourselves.
We are our greatest friends. We know ourselves better than anyone. We can be honest with ourselves. The social cultural conditions of today’s world have created a barrier to trusting in ourselves. We are anxious, we are uncertain, we see obstacles to our success that seem too hard to overcome. Taking the steps to be true to ourselves and what we truly want seems untouchable. We must listen to ourselves to find our way; removing preconceived notions and most of all fear. Fear is the enemy of self-trust and change. It holds us captive and prevents us from being truly happy.
Self-awareness is a powerful tool in our fight against fear and our journey in honesty and self-trust. In order to continue to build a thriving, sustainable world we must start with ourselves. Our best selves can work best for others, for our communities, and for our world.
Hope Seeker Spotlight: Renata Leo
Follow Renata on Instagram @renataoleo !
Blog: http://buffalosauceeverywhere.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@renataoleo
Renata Leo is a unique, innovative, inspiring author from Southern New Jersey. Her book Unapologetic Oversharing, Self-Awareness, & Buffalo Sauce highlights her take on “self-help” with a self-awareness driven strategy that promotes a genuine honest approach to self-aligned change. Renata is helping all people to discover, rediscover, or continue to ignite their sense of progression by accessing their truth. Renata is creating a more sustainable world by promoting positivity, hope, and change.
The following is an interview with Renata Leo. Renata was asked the following questions about her insights to reimaging self-help and her take on how caring for ourselves connects directly to sustainability.
Fran WEGSS: You focus on the themes of self-awareness, self-guided change, and self-guided healing in your book. Why is self-awareness significant in a world that is moving quickly and changing rapidly with technology?
Renata: Thanks so much for the opportunity. This one has been on my mind recently as I’m going through a breakup. In the past, once you broke up with someone, unless one of you called each other, the only way you’d talk was awkwardly bumping into each other. Nowadays, there are so many (read as: way too many) ways to see what your ex is doing – or anyone for that matter! I need to maintain self-awareness and know what’s best for me, instead of allowing temptation to take over and obsess. Similarly, social media makes it almost impossible for us to get away from comparing ourselves to others. Without a strong sense of self-awareness, we can fall into the trap of making unnecessary comparisons and disliking ourselves for all of the things we aren’t instead of appreciating all of the things we are.
Renata & her book Unapologetic Oversharing, Self-Awareness, & Buffalo Sauce, 2023
Fran WEGSS: Do you believe that the success of sustainability harbors on our ability to be individually self aware and confident as part of a functioning community of others? How is sustainability connected to self awareness?
Renata: I love this question and it is impossible to answer (what I love about it). I think it’s rather impossible to form deep connections with yourself or others when you don’t have self-awareness. As a young person, I wasn’t self-aware at all, and I fought to keep a wall between me and others. The connections that I formed felt nice, but they were primarily founded on sarcasm (this isn’t to say that my current relationships aren’t founded on sarcasm, but they’re also founded on genuine connection and vulnerability). I don’t want to disparage those who don’t have self-awareness by saying that it’s impossible that they’ll have real relationships, but being able to express myself using my self-awareness has made it easier for me to form genuine connections.
Renata Leo at a book signing in 2023 at Words Matter Bookstore in Pitman, NJ
With inspiration in sustainability,
Francesca Mundrick
WEGSS Founder & Team Member
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