Awareness: The First Step Toward Growth

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Most of us move through the day on autopilot. We push through stress until it settles in our muscles, we avoid emotions until they spill over, and we train hard without realizing what our bodies are actually saying. The cost of this lack of awareness is disconnection, between mind and body, between effort and recovery, between who we think we are and how we actually live. 

Awareness changes that. It’s the ability to notice with clarity, to recognize thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they happen, and to see patterns that guide improvement. Athletes who make the greatest strides aren’t always the most gifted; they’re the most self-aware. They catch weaknesses early, adjust with humility, and grow stronger because of it. 

This week, we’re breaking down the science and practice of awareness: how it shapes the brain and body, why most people overestimate their self-awareness, and how noticing the right signals can drive resilience in training and in life. 

What we’ll cover: 

• What awareness is, from basic definition to self-awareness  
• The brain and body science of awareness and mind–body connection  
• Key statistics on self-awareness, perception, and performance  
• The Tiger Resilience Lens: Awareness vs. Consciousness  
• Michael’s Training Corner: Mind–muscle connection and tailoring training to your body  
• A real-world spotlight on awareness in action  
• A journaling practice to strengthen awareness and apply it 

🧭 What Is Awareness? 

At its core, awareness is the state of noticing and understanding what is happening, both around you and within you. The word itself comes from Old English roots meaning “watchful” or “vigilant,” which reflects its original purpose: survival. Early humans needed to be hyper-aware of their environment, the movement of predators, the shift in weather, the signals of hunger or fatigue in their own bodies. 

Today, our survival doesn’t usually depend on spotting danger in the brush, but awareness still shapes how we live, work, train, and connect. It comes in two main forms: 

• External awareness: Noticing your environment and how others perceive you. This includes reading social cues, sensing group dynamics, and recognizing risks or opportunities around you. In modern life, that might mean catching the subtle signs of burnout in a coworker, or the tension rising in a conversation before it escalates.   
• Internal (self-)awareness: Turning the lens inward. This is the ability to recognize your own thoughts, emotions, and physical states as they arise, and to understand your patterns over time. It’s the athlete who knows exactly when their shoulders tighten under stress, or the professional who understands that certain environments trigger their anxiety.   

Awareness is the spotlight that lets us see reality clearly. But it doesn’t automatically lead to change. You can be aware of stress, poor habits, or blind spots and still do nothing about them. That’s why awareness is best thought of as the first step toward growth, it provides the data. What we choose to do with that data is what determines whether we stagnate or adapt. 

Michael’s Perspective: Awareness in Action 

If someone were to ask me how I perform, or if I were coaching them on how to hit a performance goal, the first thing I would tell them is that they need to be aware. Aware that the brain is the true machine driving the body. Aware that performance will always be dictated more by how your brain perceives effort and regulates output than by any single program, lift, or workout. Programming matters, but awareness sets the ceiling. 

I’ve come to this view not just from research, but from experience. For a long time, awareness was something I struggled with. I was good at working hard, at putting in volume, at checking boxes. But that isn’t the same as being aware. Being aware means understanding your weaknesses, having the humility to admit them, and then doing something about it. Awareness is the entry point. Consciousness in action is what comes next. 

Running has taught me this lesson more clearly than almost anything else. It forces you to confront yourself, your body, your thoughts, your limits. It’s why I often recommend people take runs, workouts, or walks with no headphones and no distractions. Just you, your breath, your footsteps, and your thoughts. When you strip away external input, you’re left with awareness. You learn how to be alone with your thoughts, and you learn how to connect more deeply with others who share the same struggle. 

And let’s be honest: we live in a world dominated by the screen you’re reading this newsletter on right now. Every scroll, notification, or headline gives us the illusion of awareness, a little dopamine hit that feels like progress. But it’s hollow unless it changes how you act. Real awareness is noticing your own patterns in real time and doing something different with them. 

For me, the 10K has been a test of that. It’s a distance I’m not naturally comfortable with. My training focus is shorter track events, so the 10K forces me into my weaknesses. For years, I deflected from that fact, telling myself I was too big for distance running, or that it didn’t matter because it wasn’t “my thing.” That wasn’t truth. That was ego protecting me from discomfort. 

Yesterday I leaned in again. I ran the first 5K at a strong pace, felt the wall hit around miles four and five, and instead of shutting down, I used awareness to manage what was happening. I noticed my breathing, checked in with my stride, stayed present enough to choose when to press. That gave me the ability to push through the final mile and close hard, finishing with a personal record by over two minutes compared to last year. 

That’s the thing about awareness in performance: it gives you choice. Your brain constantly evaluates effort against survival. Fatigue is as much a perception as it is a physical limit. With awareness, you can separate what’s real from what’s protective, and decide how far you’re willing to go. 

Improving in what you’ve historically struggled with is euphoric in a way that improving in your strengths rarely is. It builds not just physical fitness, but humility and perspective. And in running, that experience is shared. The beauty of awareness in this sport is that you see it mirrored in others, from the front of the pack to the first-timer finishing their debut race. Everyone is aware of the struggle. Everyone is aware of the effort. That shared recognition builds community that lifts you higher than you can go alone. 

For me, awareness in the 10K isn’t just about running farther. It’s about becoming a better miler. Every time I practice awareness in a context that challenges me, I sharpen the tool I’ll carry into the races I truly care about. That’s the power of awareness: it translates across domains, making you not only a better athlete, but a better human. 

Caught at mile 4 by a good friend, in the moment the 10K hurt the most. Awareness let me choose not to fold, to control my body and hold on for the final push to enjoy the process.

Bernie's Perspective Edge of the Wing, Edge of Awareness 

You ever have one of those moments where every single sense in your body is on high alert—like your mind, body, heart, and spirit are all suddenly wide awake? For me, that moment happened on a Friday the 13th in October, of all days. (Honestly, I’ve always thought 13 was a little misunderstood—never brought me bad luck, just good stories.) 

So, picture this: me and three buddies, crammed into a creaky old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, sitting with a jump master named Tom. We’re watching a VHS tape—yes, VHS, the kind you have to rewind with your finger if you’re impatient—on how to exit a plane for our first static line skydive. The tape’s so grainy I’m not sure if I’m watching skydivers or a flock of geese, but the basics come through: right hand, left hand, foot here, foot there, don’t forget to breathe. 

We take turns practicing the moves, mimicking what we see, while Tom—who’s jumped out of more planes than I’ve had hot meals—gives us pointers. My turn comes. I rehearse the steps: plant your foot on the plate above the landing gear, right hand first, then left, then ease your feet out, grip the strut, and dangle in the wind at 3,000 feet. I’m trying to visualize it, but let’s be real—there’s only so much you can “imagine” about hanging off a plane at 90 miles an hour. 

The next morning, we’re strapped into this wooden harness system that looks like it was built by someone who’d never seen a skydiver, let alone a plane. My friends are holding my legs so I can “simulate” the right posture, the whole contraption shaking like it’s about to collapse. My senses? Dialed up to max. Every sound, every wobble, every nervous laugh—my body’s taking it all in. 

We finally get to the Cessna. I go in first (my bright idea, so I guess I get to be captain), which means I’ll be the last one out. The plane is so tight I feel like a sardine in a can, parachute pack digging into my back, helmet pressing on my forehead. Tom tells me and Jeff (the two biggest guys) to lean forward so the plane can actually take off. If that doesn’t make you question your choices, I don’t know what will. 

I’m hyper-aware now—my mind’s racing, my body’s tense, my heart’s pounding, and my spirit? My spirit’s somewhere between “let’s do this” and “what are you thinking?” I realize, sitting there, that all the training in the world can’t fully prepare you for the real thing. You can only intellectualize so much—at some point, you have to step out and trust. 

Door opens. One by one, my friends shuffle to the edge and drop out of the plane, static line attached. Watching them go? That ramps up my anxiety even more. Then it’s my turn. I move to the door, grip the wing, look back at Tom. He gives the signal. Here’s the wild part: you don’t jump. You just…let go. You fall. 

And in that five-second freefall before the chute opens, every sense is alive. I pull the straps, the parachute blooms, and for the first time, I’m flying. Not just falling—flying. I’ve done plenty of wild things—jumped off bridges, cliffs, you name it—but nothing compares to that moment when you’re suspended between earth and sky, every part of you fully present. 

I’m not telling you this so you’ll go jump out of a plane (unless you want to, then hey, I’ll cheer you on). I’m telling you because it taught me something about self-senses awareness. We get so used to tuning out—going through the motions, numbing out the details. But life is asking us to wake up. To tune in. To notice what’s happening in our bodies, our thoughts, our feelings, our spirit—even when it’s uncomfortable, especially when it’s uncomfortable. 

I’ve learned that you don’t need a life-or-death leap to practice this. You just need a moment: a breath, a pause, a willingness to notice. What are you feeling in your body right now? What’s your mind whispering? What’s your heart carrying? What’s your spirit longing for? 

If you want to practice self-senses awareness, start with the basics. Breathe. Notice. Appreciate. Be present. That’s where the magic is—on the edge, in the unknown, in the act of letting go. 

And for the record, I still think 13 is lucky. After all, it brought me a story I’ll never forget—and a reminder to always, always stay awake to the wonders (and the wildness) of being alive. 

Edge of the wing, edge of awareness. In that moment before letting go, every sense came alive, mind, body, heart, and spirit wide awake to the present

🧠🩺 The Science of Awareness: Your Brain and Body on “Knowing” 

Awareness isn’t abstract, it’s biological. The ability to notice and reflect comes from distinct brain systems and shows up throughout the body in ways that impact stress, recovery, and performance. 

🧠 In the Brain 

• The default mode network (DMN): When we think about ourselves, recalling memories, imagining the future, or reflecting on “who we are”, the DMN lights up. It includes areas like the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex. Too much DMN activity (rumination, self-chatter) is linked to anxiety and depression. Practices that cultivate awareness, like mindfulness, help quiet this loop and improve emotional regulation.   
• The insula — the body’s sensor hub: This deep brain region tracks internal signals, heartbeat, breath, muscle tension, hunger, and integrates them into our emotional awareness. People with stronger insula activity are often better at emotional regulation because they detect subtle signals earlier.   
• Awareness and emotion: Limited emotional awareness is linked to higher stress and even greater pain sensitivity. Research shows that when people can’t label or process emotions, their brain interprets those signals as physical strain, amplifying symptoms of chronic pain and stress.   
• Mind wandering vs. mindfulness: A landmark Harvard study found that our minds wander about 47% of the time, and that wandering usually makes us less happy, even if the mind drifts to pleasant thoughts. Staying present through awareness is linked to better mood and more accurate perception of reality.   

🩺 In the Body 

• Cortisol and stress response: Awareness can dial down stress hormones. Studies show that people who consistently practice mindful awareness have lower baseline cortisol levels. In simple terms, the more attention you direct to the present, the less your body pumps out stress chemicals.   
• Muscle tension and recovery: Stress you’re unaware of often shows up as chronic muscle tension, tight shoulders, clenched jaw, headaches. Awareness interrupts this cycle. Recognizing and releasing tension helps the body shift from fight-or-flight into recovery mode, improving both daily well-being and training adaptations.   
• Blood pressure and immunity: Programs that cultivate body awareness, like mindfulness-based stress reduction, have been shown to lower blood pressure and even strengthen immune responses. The act of noticing signals and responding with calm attention literally rebalances physiology.   
• Pain and endurance: Awareness changes how we experience effort and discomfort. Athletes who consciously monitor breath, form, and muscle engagement tolerate higher workloads and recover faster. Even outside sport, mindful body awareness is linked to higher pain thresholds and reduced need for pain medication in clinical populations.   

In short: awareness isn’t just a mental skill, it’s a physiological shift. The brain quiets down its chatter, the body recalibrates stress, and both together create a foundation for resilience and performance. 

📊 Stats Worth Knowing 

The numbers make clear how rare and impactful awareness really is: 

• The Self-Awareness Gap: About 95% of people believe they are self-aware, yet research shows only 10–15% actually meet the criteria. That means most of us are walking around with blind spots we cannot see.   
• Performance and leadership: Self-awareness is one of the strongest predictors of leadership success. People who see themselves clearly are more confident, more creative, make better decisions, and build stronger relationships. Teams led by self-aware leaders consistently outperform those without.   
• Awareness and stress hormones: In a three-month training study, participants who increased mindful awareness showed measurable decreases in cortisol, the primary stress hormone. The more present attention they directed to their immediate experience, the lower their cortisol levels.   
• Emotional awareness and mental health: People with higher awareness of their emotions, sometimes called emotional granularity, are less likely to experience depression and anxiety. In contrast, those who struggle to identify or describe emotions have higher rates of both.   
• Variability in training response: On the same strength program, gains can vary from no progress at all to more than doubling strength. Muscle size changes have ranged from slight losses to nearly 60% increases. This spread highlights the importance of awareness in tailoring training to individual responses.   
• Stress and the body: Around 75% of Americans report at least one physical symptom of stress each month. Without awareness, these signals are often ignored until they escalate into chronic issues. With awareness, they can be addressed early and managed effectively. 

🐅 Tiger Resilience Lens: Awareness vs Consciousness 

Awareness is noticing. Consciousness is awareness paired with intention. One can exist without the other. You might be aware of stress, bad habits, or opportunities, but unless that awareness turns into conscious action, nothing changes. 

Here is the trap: awareness itself can deliver a dopamine hit. Consuming information, talking through problems, or recognizing patterns can feel like progress, but if there is no follow-through, nothing shifts. You stay stuck in recognition mode, mistaking the feeling of awareness for the reality of growth. 

In resilience, this distinction matters. Awareness is the compass. Consciousness is picking a direction and walking. Here is how each shows up across the Four Human Domains: 

Awareness can illuminate. Consciousness transforms. Without the second, you risk getting addicted to the feeling of progress while your reality stays the same. Resilience thrives when both are present, seeing clearly, then choosing wisely. 

🏋️ Michael’s Training Corner: Awareness in Training 

Part 1: Mind–Muscle Connection 

Awareness in the gym is not just about moving weight. It is about paying attention to how the body is working in the moment. When lifters consciously focus on the target muscle, research shows nearly double the growth compared to those lifting on autopilot. 

• Direct attention to the working muscle → better recruitment, control, and hypertrophy  
• Slowing reps to feel full range builds movement awareness and reinforces technique  
• Athletes who check posture, breathing, and alignment under load develop efficiency and reduce injury risk  
• My coaching philosophy: quality before quantity. Every rep is feedback. Train with presence, not distraction  

Part 2: Applied Awareness in Programming 

Awareness also guides long-term adaptation. Two athletes can run the same program with opposite outcomes. The difference is often who listens and responds to their body via internal feedback.  

• Track both numbers (weight, volume, pace) and signals (sleep, soreness, focus, motivation)  
• Identify your patterns: do you thrive on higher volume or shorter, higher intensity work; longer rests or frequent exposures  
• Be specific: if squats leave you drained but split squats leave you stronger (pending the specific goal), awareness tells you where to adjust
• My coaching philosophy: adaptation beats imitation. Programs are starting points, not blueprints. People who stay aware of responses evolve faster and stay healthier  

Awareness in training is simple but not easy. It is the daily discipline of noticing, adjusting, and repeating. Presence in the moment and honesty over time, that is what drives lasting progress. 

🌍 Real-World Spotlight: Dr. Tasha Eurich on Self-Awareness 

Organizational psychologist Dr. Tasha Eurich has studied thousands of people to understand what separates those who grow from those who stay stuck. Her research shows that awareness is rare, but also highly trainable when approached the right way. 

Key insights from her work: 

• Two types of awareness: Internal self-awareness is clarity on your own values, emotions, and reactions. External self-awareness is understanding how others see you. Most people have one but not the other. Growth requires both.   
• Feedback matters: As people gain power or experience, their self-awareness often decreases because they stop receiving honest input. The most self-aware leaders deliberately seek feedback from “loving critics” who will tell them the truth.   
• Ask “what,” not “why”: Introspection focused on why tends to spiral into rumination. Asking what (“What situations trigger this? What can I do differently?”) produces clearer action and better outcomes.   
• Self-awareness as practice: Eurich emphasizes that awareness is not a trait you either have or don’t. It is a habit built over time, through reflection, curiosity, and openness to critique.   

Eurich’s message is powerful: awareness is only useful when it leads to action. By refining how we reflect and by inviting outside perspective, we move from simply noticing to consciously growing. 

📖 For a deeper dive, see her book 📖 Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think 

📝 Journal Exercise: Training Your Awareness 

Awareness grows with practice. This week’s exercise is about noticing what is often overlooked, and then acting on it. 

Part 1: Daily Check-In 

Spend 5–10 minutes each evening answering three prompts: 

• What emotion did I feel most strongly today?   
• What physical sensation stood out to me (tension, energy, fatigue, calm)?   
• What did I notice today that I had not paid attention to before?   

The goal is not to solve anything in the moment. It is to build the habit of noticing. Patterns will emerge the more consistently you do this. 

Part 2: Awareness into Action 

At the end of the week, review your entries. Pick one repeated theme and ask: 

• What is one conscious step I can take about this? 

For example:  

• If you keep writing “tight shoulders,” schedule a daily 5-minute stretch.  
• If you often feel anxious in the afternoon, test a short walk or breathing break at that time.  
• If you noticed joy after a certain activity, plan to do it again next week.  

Awareness without follow-through fades. Awareness with action compounds. 

📘 Want a structured tool to guide this practice? Our Awaken the Tiger and Phoenix Self-Esteem Journal is designed with prompts that strengthen self-awareness and self-worth. It can serve as your daily anchor for reflection and growth. 

🔥 Final Thoughts: Awareness as the Catalyst for Resilience 

Awareness is not the end goal, but it is always the beginning. Without it, we stay stuck in patterns we cannot name. With it, we gain the clarity to choose differently. Awareness is the thread that runs through each of the Five Pillars: 

• Purpose: You cannot live your why if you have not noticed what truly matters to you. Awareness reveals values and motivations that anchor direction.   
• Planning: Good planning starts with a clear-eyed view of your strengths, weaknesses, and resources. Awareness makes the plan real instead of theoretical.   
• Practice: Daily rituals become powerful when you are present to them. Awareness multiplies the effect of repetition by turning routine into intentional practice.   
• Perseverance: Grit is not blind pushing. It is the self-awareness to know when to adapt, when to rest, and when to press forward. Awareness keeps perseverance sustainable.   
• Providence: Life often surprises us with opportunities we could never plan for. Awareness keeps us open enough to recognize them when they appear.   

Awareness is the first step, consciousness is the second, and resilience is the result. 

Stay Resilient

Bernie & Michael

Tiger Resilience 🐅

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