We live in a world that provides endless ways of being distracted. We can circumvent direct communication through using texts, photos, and messages. We can prevent connecting by being consumed by our electronic devices. We can keep ourselves busy by immersing ourselves in social media. It is easy to escape being known and easier to avoid knowing ourselves.

A background in psychology led to a deeper respect for self awareness. It was probably the years of training, supervision, as well as therapy that helped me to understand the importance of making peace with myself. However, for me at least, it has been a journey, not a destination. It is a continual journey of looking at issues that were only partially resolved. Each realization leads to greater humility, acceptance, and peace.

It is from this perspective, that we see the importance of self-knowledge in the mediation process. Being aware of "self" allows us to see how our issues are impacting other people. It also helps us in developing compassion. By learning to forgive ourselves, we can easier forgive other people. But, it means being willing to avoid the distractions and being willing to take time to look at our fallibilities.