Life is an experience, one that weighs heavily on our ability to learn from those experiences. Our chance to grow and gain knowledge are the bits of life that make it worth living. A major part of personal growth is introspection.

By taking the time to look within, you can help shape yourself as a person. How you react to things, the choices you make, all of that is based on your inside coming out. Introspection can help you move forward positively in life and at the very least, it can help you deal with the decision-making process. Let's look at the benefits of introspection.

1. Decisions Driven By Conscience

Introspection allows you to remain in close contact with your conscience. It isn't just about right and wrong, when you're focused inwardly you have the opportunity to appropriately weigh your options. You will sleep better at night when you know your decisions are driven by your conscience. It will also help you remain true to yourself and to others, despite the outcome.

2. Character Growth

Looking inwards forces your hand when it comes to confronting who you are as a person. What is it that makes you tick? What is it that you believe in? By taking an honest look at yourself and analyzing your character you find self-knowledge. That self-knowledge can help you build self-esteem and influence you to make the changes you want to.

Have you said or done something that was offensive or hurtful to someone else? Try to look at it from their perspective by putting yourself in their shoes. Think back on your own experiences and think about the outcomes that leave you feeling satisfied.

3. Thinking Fairly

This ties into your conscience. Introspection helps you block out all of the noise around you. External ideas can easily sway you, but it's important that you always listen to yourself first. Don't give into a way of thinking due to the influence of others. Think about it honestly and don't allow others to force you to see it their way. Introspection makes you an independent, critical thinker because it's a stark reminder that you are the only person responsible for your life.

4. True Happiness

When you look at the stuff making you up inside you can easily define happiness. Happiness comes from within you so that's where you will find the answers you need to make happiness. Like, what do you enjoy doing? How do you measure success? What does a healthy relationship look like? The stuff inside you, those answers, will help you shape the life you want to live. You can't make others happy if you can't make yourself happy first.

5. Confronting Fear

Fear is real, you can't just pretend it doesn't exist and move apart from it. We have to learn to act despite our fears. Do you know what your fear is? Maybe you have more than one. Introspection is a big part of determining your fears.

Once you know what you're dealing with you can manage the feelings that stem from those fears. You're stuck in a job you hate, are you afraid of failure so you don't want to move forward? Or are you afraid of success? What's the worst that could happen? Find out what your fear is, build the skills you need, confront your fear, and grow!

6. True Acknowledgement

You are faced with a myriad of options daily. Do you make the best decision possible? Do you immediately regret your choices? Introspection leads to better choices because when you know yourself on a deeper level you are sure. You are sure in yourself, sure in what you think personally, sure in what your conscience is telling you. You're sure enough to handle anything. Introspection has brought you to this point, the point of true growth and acknowledgment. It's easier to live happily when you practice introspection.