Awareness is a Gift

“Every positive change–every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness–involves a rite of passage. Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”

-Dan Millman

Awareness. It’s what grounds us in the present moment. It’s what enables us to pay attention to what’s rooting us in the ground. It’s what provides us a source of power, knowing that it is from this place, this very moment, that we possess the power to choose our next thought, word, attitude and action. It all starts with awareness. If we wish to change or shift our current state of mind or how we feel, we must begin by knowing and acknowledging what that is and where we are.

Awareness is a gift. It reminds us that all we need to do is show up. Breathe. Listen. Understand. Know that where we are, isn’t where we have to stay. At any given moment we can choose to shift where our mind is or how we feel. But we must be the ones choosing it, especially when we feel so deep-down stuck in problems and circumstances that seem insurmountable. We must choose to focus our minds. We must choose to set our intention. We must choose to find our will. To find a way. To say NO to the excuses that will inevitably come up and tell us: You can’t have it. You don’t deserve this. You aren’t strong enough. You aren’t thin enough. You’re too old/ not old enough. It’s too hard. It will take too long.

Any time we feel the wind of change, any moment we feel a deep-down stuckness, any set of circumstances or challenges we face that leave us feeling overwhelmed, is exactly the moment we need to choose to be where we are. When it feels as if the world around us is a swirling mess of chaos, we need to pay attention to what is rooting us to the ground. Physically in our feet. Mentally in our thoughts.

Going back to this place of awareness has been so vital for me this week. On so many levels I am in the midst of change. Deep down I know it is positive change, even if I’m not quite “there” yet. Like the above quote by Dan Millman, I understand that each time I want more, every time I seek to “ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, ( I ) must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation.” Even as I know full well that discomfort is a sign of growth and is the bi-product of striving for more; at times, I still struggle to find certainty on my path. Where my heart beckons, Go with this feeling and write a new chapter in your life, my head snarks, You don’t deserve this. It will be too difficult. Where my spirit stands on the ledge echoing, It’s time to leap. It’s your time to soar and be free, my mind bellows, You don’t know “HOW”-how will you ever be free from your eating disorder and the thoughts that plague you? how can you be free to stand on your own financially? how can you ever be happy and fulfilled? how will you get “there”?

Our excuses, the thoughts we conjure up as to why we can’t have something or don’t deserve something, come up during times of trial and tribulation. But our most pressing concerns cannot be “solved.” They must be outgrown. We outgrow old habits by repeatedly and consistently practicing new ones. We outgrow old thought patterns by repeatedly and consistently choosing new, empowering ones. We outgrow excuses by taking action consistent with our intentions, with how we want to feel and where we want to be.

November is all about “NO Excuses.” The series this month reminds us that in order to take action, in order to be the change we wish to see manifest in our lives, it all starts with our mind. It all starts with awareness. The series this month acknowledges that we must start with an awareness of where we are. We must focus our minds, harness our thoughts on what IT is we want so that we can make our intention strong, grow our commitment, and be done with our excuses.

This week, I encourage you to raise your level of awareness by simply noticing where you are in your thoughts and your feelings. First, acknowledge what the feeling or thought is. Next, determine if the feeling or thought is a positive or negative one-is it one you wish to hold on to, or is it something you wish to release? If the feeling or thought is inconsistent with your intentions, it’s a clear sign to get rid of it. Clearing our minds clears the path to possibility. So, if you find yourself in need of mental clearing practice the Sati move, Focus, this week:

extend your arms out straight, shoulder height, palms facing down. Begin to alternate your right arm over your left, then your left arm over your right, in a slicing fashion. Imagine yourself cutting through old thoughts and feelings you no longer need. Feel yourself clearing space for possibility and abundance. Say out loud to yourself: My mind is set.

What excuses are you saying NO to this week?

Clear your path. Open up to receive. Set your mind on your intention. Breathe in possibility.