So you have a Ph.D. in …. You studied for 10+ years the topic of your choosing, but never dedicated even a day of studying yourself? My oh my! This is what, I assume, one of my favorite authors Anthony De Mellow would say to a person boasting about their academic performance.

One of the most powerful tools for gaining knowledge is observation. Scientists have used it for hundreds of years to understand better the world around us. You don’t have to be one to enjoy this simple yet potent instrument of knowledge

The journey of studying yourself begins with… observing yourself.

Observe yourself like a scientist observes and studies ants.

• The scientist does not judge the behavior of the ants.
• He or she does not intervene, nor makes a suggestion on how the ant colony to be better
• The scientist does NOT hand out books and self-help guides how the ants to be more productive
• He or she OBSERVES the ants to understand them.

This article is part of my writing challenge – Writing Seed. Join it and become more consistent with writing. It’s totally free.