Sleepwalkers have no awareness of what they’re doing while they’re doing it, and no recollection of having done anything while they were asleep. They certainly don’t remember the bizarre conversations they had with the person who guided them back to bed.

You can go through life as a sleepwalker, doing things on autopilot without any conscious awareness of what you’re doing. Many of your habitual behaviors happen in that zone.

There is another lack of awareness to wake up to beyond habits; the ignorance of the impact of the words you say and the things you do or don’t do.

Everything you do sends a signal into your environment. Every time you fail to act reverberates across the silence to everyone watching. Every word you utter tells your audience something about you. Even your choice of words and how you say them is sending a message about your beliefs, attitudes and self-esteem.

Sadly, ignorance does not lead to bliss. It leads to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, confusion, missed opportunities, broken friendships, and angry responses.

Yet, the fallout from ignorance is totally avoidable. All it takes is a little self-awareness, that is, waking up to yourself and your influence on those around you.

Think about the possible impact your actions or words may have on others before you act or speak and take that into consideration when you do.

If you misinterpret the actions or words of others, and, believe me, you do, it’s highly likely that others misinterpret whatever you say and do, especially if you don’t take them into consideration.

Take the time to become aware of the context of situations you find yourself in, engage with people, and notice how they respond to you.

Not every response will be verbal. Learn to watch for their non-verbal signals. They’re often a more reliable indicator of their genuine feelings.