AWARENESS

This word AWARENESS can have so many meanings in our English language! There was a time in my life that it simply meant that I needed to pay attention as I went through life because there might be something I might not be AWARE of that was important to me…like this alligator  lurking in the greenery of this lake. I need to be aware they live in these waters. Should I be in fear or panic? NO, of course not. But acting responsibly with a healthy dose of respect? Absolutely!  READ on because “perhaps” the concept is simple. As spiritually awakening people, are we trying too hard? Are we complicating LIFE in our effort to “understand” LIFE?

Definition of Awareness: knowledge or perception of a situation or fact. 

In our culture today we are all facing the uncomfortable lack of  awareness through discrimination, political division, and violence.  If we add a lack of compassion to a lack of awareness we begin to move into FEAR of what a lack of awareness can bring into our lives.

As I think and reflect back, I used to fear a lack of awareness as I was in the midst of  teaching young children.  I was always trying to improve on my skill of multitasking WHILE I stayed aware of all of the little first grade bodies and what they were doing in my classroom at any given moment! Whew, it was a job. One example: while teaching reading in a small group at a table, I was helping another child on the side; keeping my eye on movement; answering a quick question from a child trying to get my attention; giving the  eye of disapproval to a child checking to see if I “noticed” what they did; and at the same time listening for any unusual sounds! Can you picture this with ONE teacher and 25 little bodies doing various tasks around the room?

I use this classroom example only because it might help you VISUALIZE what a huge task we have in becoming AWARE of our true nature in a spiritual sense in a very noisy world. Are there 25 different perspectives and only ONE of you trying to figure out what is the TRUE meaning? Can we hear all of these thoughts without fear, panic, or feeling we are inadequate? We are all hearing the word awareness used in spiritual circles to mean AWAKE or REMEMBERING who we really are; a spiritual being occupying a temporary human body.

We are living in a human body that is constantly bombarded with cultural pressures, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and challenges.  Then as Eckart Tolle reminds us, we are NOT our THOUGHTS or our EMOTIONS! But we have to be aware of them so we can BE the awareness behind them!

Our SPIRITUAL ego often jogs right in with thoughts that “we know” – maybe even thinking we need to defend our “truth”…our answers. Isn’t that what religion has done very miserably for thousands of years? When I am AWARE…I turn to awe and realize that more and more the answers arise within me as I slow myself down and listen. YES, others can help me too. I can LIVE the answers I think I know, be in the flow of life, and enjoy my journey.  We are living in a very complicated world, and I’m hoping perhaps a few simple thoughts  might help calm YOUR path…in a forever journey of awareness of who and what you are! I’d like to start by saying…

• RELAX and ENJOY a freedom we seldom allow ourselves ~ the simplicity of being OURSELVES exactly as we are at any given moment in time. It’s that simple.  Awareness. We are AWESOME exactly as we ARE.
• Spiritual “conversations” are totally beautiful and very helpful, but only when the conversations pull us to reflect or challenge our OWN thinking…no one else should do that for us. SHARING is awesome…if it is open ended with THOUGHT as a goal.
• Be open minded “listening” to all. Sometimes our best teachers came out of conflict!
• There is no need to defend your own thinking for anyone…simply open the communication door.

ALL of this keeps an OPEN door to be more and more AWARE,  to grow, and to stay happy while traveling your own journey of life!

Nature is always a model for us. The bud never worries if it is ENOUGH. The bud never asks if it contains the universe within it to grow into the blossom…it just IS! You can GROW into that blossom you were meant to be! You simply ARE…

“BELIEF in yourself is everything… because all behavior is belief driven.” ~ Terry Larkin