It All Starts with Awareness

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.” Eckart Tolle

There is no other way to say it… It all starts with awareness. Anything that we want to change in our lives or if change is happening to us…awareness is part of that process. But what is awareness anyway? Our body is set up to be aware…if we are too hot, we cool down, if we are too cold, our body warms us, if we are injured, our body sends messages about pain, and sometimes, when the injury is so bad it shuts down our experience of pain. That body awareness is unconscious and always operating. Then, there is the perceptual awareness of our senses. We are picking up sensations all the time with our five senses. This helps us be aware of our surroundings. Our brain interprets what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. The interpretation depends on our belief system, our experiences, and our notions of the world. More of awareness and perception later. We have now moved to a more conscious level of awareness. Our emotional reactions are another level of awareness if we are paying attention and not avoiding our emotions. These heart messages are part of our emotional intelligence. And then we have our gut reactions… are we aware of those… when something happens, and our gut says yeah or nay? Are we aware at a higher level to recognize those reactions?

Now, we are entering the soul level of awareness when our intuition is part of our repertoire of awareness. Some would refer to this as our third eye, our sixth sense, the four clairs. All the messages that we get that we may judge as otherworldly and dreamy but not grounded in reality.  Here, we might ask, “What is reality? What is real, and what is made-up shit? 

So, in the conscious realm of awareness, what is needed is to be more in tune with the universe and its messages that are flowing around us every day. 

Most of us are too busy to notice those messages. The societal message is to be busy, or you are wasting time. Some people take great pride in being too busy to respond to others or to pause to take in what else is actually going on. For some, it is a badge of honour to be so busy. Not surprisingly, this valuing of business comes with corporate culture, and we seem to have bought into that culture at all levels of work, home life, business, and even leisure. 

The challenge is how to break out of this busyness and become aware at a deeper level of what the messages are around you and in you. Here is where mindfulness also comes into play. Awareness and mindfulness are closely linked. 

The funny thing is that we just went through a great opportunity to pause… many people did and transformed their lives. When I look around, I also see others who have returned to their past patterns. Which are you? Did the pandemic slow you down and cause you to be more aware of the movements in your life… the energy, the opportunities, the invitations, the growth points, the dynamics and energy around you, and the choices you make every day?

Beginning a daily awareness practice is a good place to start or continue your journey to awareness. Keeping a gratitude journal is also a great awareness tool. I found a gratitude tree – well, it is cardboard – and we can put up a leaf each day with something we are grateful for. In the evening, as we sit overlooking the woods behind our home, we often have a conversation about gratitude. Create your own space for gratitude conversation in your home or with your circle of friends. A meal out is a great time to express gratitude for one another. Be creative, and let me know what you come up with. Remember, it all starts with awareness. 

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