Lauren Bailey iExamen 1

            I chose to conduct my self-analysis and evaluation on Saturday. To say that it was an interesting day is an understatement. I was surprised by how much self-control it took to do this assignment. I learned that detailed self-awareness is a skill that is 1) hard to learn and 2) a skill that ought to be learned and exercised regularly.  

            I learned that I have a very unique perspective. I work at a very high-end and well-known jewelry store in Annapolis. Throughout the day, I realized how much of human interaction and connection stems from non-verbal cues and communication. From the start of my day and the time I got out of bed to get dressed, I realized that I sub-consciously prepared myself for the day thinking about how other people will respond to me. For example, I have found through working, that people will respect me more if I am dressed in a more classic and conservative way. I always try to speak in an articulate and clear manner; however, that is only amplified during the workday. Especially now with the age of wearing masks all day long, I also noticed how much is said (and not said) with the eyes. Just by a seemingly simple glance at a customer’s eyes and eyebrows, I am able to tell if they do not like a piece of jewelry, if they are uncomfortable with the sale price, or even if they are head-over-heels set on the ring, etc. So much of human interaction, and I even dare to say that the majority of communication is not from spoken language, but body language and subtle cues. You can tell a lot about a person before ever speaking to them. I am not around my phone while I am working, so I am definitely more intentional with my time throughout the day. I can pay full attention to a client and direct all of my time and energy to making them feel like the most important thing that I am dealing with, without being distracted with whatever is going on in my “phone life”.  It was interesting though to see how I altered how I communicate at the end of the workday and once I checked my phone. I definitely grew lazier in my written communication compared to how I typically speak. My goal in life is to become a well-rounded individual, a “Renaissance women”, if you will. In my head, my phone prohibits me from achieving that ultimate goal, so I really do try to be careful and considerate with how I use it. After work and after I get home, my body seemed to take a giant breath of relief and my typically introverted self, settled down and was able to relax. I was not surprised by what I learned during this assignment, the thing that struck me was that the lessons I expected to learn were so much more amplified than I anticipated. I liked the challenge of actively working my brain throughout the day to be super aware of every little detail that occurred. I believe it is important to live an intentional life, being aware with how you dress, speak, look at, think of etc.