awareness

196 posts

controversial

A Controversial Look into How You Live

Firstly, I wish to apologize to anyone that has read my second book Simplicity of Life. There is bad editing such as text flow and grammar mistakes within the book. I am perhaps naïve. I realize that it is years since the publication. But, the editor told me that the editing and grammar were fine. I accepted the editor’s assuring statement as correct. But, the bad editing and lack of sentence flow are the result of my oversight and my trusting nature.  I only recently took a critical look at the book’s text flow and grammar. Thus, I made many text changes and grammar corrections within the chapters. I feel that the revised text offers you an easier to read inquiry into controversial topics. Therefore, I wish to offer you this revised version of the book, as a free downloadable PDF document.

Controversial

Yes, the reading material is difficult due to the nature of the topics. However, I feel strongly that we all desire harmony and bliss on the path of life. Nevertheless, reading about such controversial topics unleash conditional mind behavior patterns that developed over thousands upon thousands of years. We innately know the truth at the depth of our being. However, all structures of our development have taught us to question, deny and fear something that is actually fundamental. Ultimately, the nature of our beingness has nothing to do with the mind. Equally, the essence of our being (isness) is simplistic when we go beyond mind interference and restrictions. Therefore, the next step on the path of life is hopefully our awakening to a conscious evolution. Continue reading

soup

Soup of the Day and the Life You Live

No, contrary to the title I am not opening a restaurant that offers a soup of the day 😊. Instead, I do wish to share an experience to serve as a signpost on the path of your conscious awakening. Why does the mind always want more even when there is no need for more? Here I am referring to more of anything. I learned a beneficial lesson in conscious living though the simple act of preparing soup.

soup

It began many years ago. I participated in bodybuilding, marathon running and mountain climbing. My diet always varied slightly and offered needed supplements and food groups for these activities. I experimented with low-fat recipes and discovered a soup mixture that gave me the needed carbohydrates each day. I often prepared noodles with herbs and cheese. And, it always tasted different depending on the type of herbs and cheese. This is always a delicious meal.

However, there came a day when I started to add more ingredients to the soup. I can now say that, in hindsight, it is clear to me why I added new ingredients to the soup. I was not present. And, I was not aware of my beingness within the moment. Thus, I was not aware of the mind’s insistence to get more. This may sound too easy when expressed this way. But, life is simple and easy. This is equally true for the experiences we have in life. Our existence would readily harmonize with life if we were more aware of living within presence. Continue reading

Desiderata

Desiderata Because Life is about You

Are you familiar with the writings of Max Ehrmann? He wrote the poem Desiderata in 1927. I wrote an article with topics relating to this poem several years ago.  A person, at that time, reminded me of the poem during a conversation about our experiences in high school.

Desiderata

It is obvious that materialistic merits and always getting more is the focus of most people. But, this results in, among other things, always wanting more and more. This means that enough is never enough. Furthermore, wanting and needing causes people to feel isolated and alone. However, we are beings of the universe. Therefore, our presence portraits a universal beingness. Thus, the universe becomes conscious of itself through us. Nevertheless, we have forgotten our essence. Thus, gone down a path that distracts us from consciously observing each step on this journey.  

Continue reading

Feelings and Thoughts Will Confuse You

Feelings and thoughts come and go. Or, do they? First, let’s be clear that your feelings and thoughts are not real. Yes, of course, these seem so real. But, there are not. Therefore, don’t attach your state of presence to feeling or thinking during the experience of one or the other. Feeling originates from the verb to feel and thinking is the process of considering or reasoning. (web dictionary)

feelings

Should we take this definition at face value? If yes, then why don’t we consciously experience empathy and aware presence more often? The act of feeling derives from personal experiences. These develop into behaviorism that reinforce thoughts and reactions and vise versa. Patterns of thinking develop and flourish in the same manner. Feelings are mind interpretations of our emotions.

Therefore, is it possible to express an emotion or thought without feeling or thinking about either? Yes, I’m diving deep into the philosophical rabbit hole with this statement. But, attachment to either is counterproductive during the process of conscious awakening. An emotion and a feeling first appear to be the same. So, hold onto your chair. The following insight will take you further down the rabbit hole. Continue reading

autonomy

Autonomy as a Stepping Stone in Life

Typically, we dissect our experiences in attempts to categorize something as good, bad, right or wrong. However, let’s stretch our horizon to engulf the unconditional totality of living. Yes, a million and more years of evolution overshadow any given experience. And, our species interaction with life is mostly a redundant series of mind-induced behavior repetitions. Nevertheless, we have the potential to experience life in a conscious state of autonomy. This word recently fascinated me. The word itself in reference to psychology is useful as a further stepping stone on our inner journey of self-discovery.

autonomy

Autonomous derives from the Greek word autonomos where auto means self and nomos means to govern (Wikipedia). Therefore, let’s use the word autonomy as a portal to a life of active, conscious presence. How do most people behave in reaction to daily activities, especially in difficult or stressful situations? Everyone wants to go off the grid and live on an island. Likewise, what is the predominant dream of people around the world? Everybody wishes for prosperity and freedom to live according to their desire. But, this desire is usually in accordance with a given societies image of success and happiness. However, there is a deep-rooted flaw within such attempts to find peace and salvation. What is this painted image of illusion that makes us dependent on the mind in the hope of finding happiness? Continue reading

head

Head on Straight and True

My uncle often told me to get my head on straight as a young teenager. Sometimes he said this with a strict voice. And, from time to time he told me this to make me laugh. I have grown with a deep appreciation for the wisdom found within this statement. Likewise, I recall pondering on the depth of this insight during my young adulthood. This idiom suggests for us to calmly observe our behavior in any given situation. Furthermore, live and act from a state of clarity.

head

Nevertheless, people experience much of life in a dysfunctional state of being. This is to say that a person’s head is not on straight (😊). The majority of people still use this moment as nothing more than a means to and end. The mind usually interlaces now with phantom thoughts and emotions of what will come or what has been. This tendency might very well be the major cause of our unconscious, thus abnormal behavior.

Yes, I use abnormal behavior as a synonym for our unaware (unconscious) state of being. Perhaps, the time has come for us to openly and clearly observe our state of affairs. We claim to be logical, intelligent and compassionate. However, our behavior indicates the exact opposite. Conscious presence is a necessity in our evolution. We have spent thousands of years in a type of darkness that continues due to mind obsessions. Continue reading

pieces

Pieces of Life Fall into Place

We compare life to a puzzle. Accordingly, the mind portraits an image of how life should be for us. And, most people accept the minds image.  Therefore, you are the puzzle player. The game you play is life. How do you play this game? Are you an active conscious player? Or, does the mind dictate how you play? Admittedly, it seems easier to just go along with the mind and let it dominate life. However, a person that lives life according to the mind’s rules uses thoughts and emotions as puzzle pieces.

pieces

On the other hand, a conscious awakened person focuses primarily on one piece of puzzle. The act of aware presence liberates this one piece (moment) from all attachments, whether of mind or body. The one piece of puzzle you hold in this moment is the ongoing determining influence for how you live life. Universal energy flows in response to your observation of being here and now. Therefore, your state of beingness is always the center of the universe in terms of how, where and even why there is a puzzle.  Conscious presence reveals that this one piece, this one moment is the totality of your life experience. Thus, a state of aware beingness is the experience of oneness. And, the act of being is infinite with many possibilities. Continue reading

Nature and You Sing a Song

Often, we take the splendor of nature as granted. The changing of the seasons emphasizes a natural beauty through the world. A blade of grass and a tree swaying in the breeze move within the song of life. Summertime, for example, is a season of long days and hot weather. Additionally, people are generally more carefree during this period.

nature

Thus, people dearly hold summertime in their hearts because we associate a sense of freedom with this season. There are memories of childhood, vacations, festivals, and so much more. Nature, in particular, is vibrating at a higher level during this period. This offers us an opportunity to experience Mother Nature firsthand. Therefore, it is easier for us to consciously unite with each moment as it unfolds naturally.

Continue reading

The Gateway to Your Home

Your deepest and purest wish is to return home. Isn’t it? Home, in reference to our conversation, illustrates self-discovery and self-being. You are looking for what makes you, you. A hundred things happen every day. And, usually, you react to each experience in a certain way. However, you usually don’t know why. But, your wish is to know. Thus, you search and search more for answers about yourself. However, through my own personal experience, I assure you the gateway to all answers reveals itself from within. The focus of your presence here and now offers stepping stones in self-reflection and self-realization.

gateway

So, let’s view the process of conscious awakening as hiking on a trail of your choice.  The path is the way in life that you choose. Yes, you read this correctly.  Please recognize that you are choosing the way, whether you are consciously aware or not. And, your ultimate wish is to return home to the true self of your being. The conscious experience of the true self explains the who, what and why without the need to search for anything. Everything is already within you. Nevertheless, daily experiences often confuse and frighten you. Thus, distractions of the mind obscure the gateway to the inner self. Continue reading

Theorist and Abstract Thinking

I was recently labeled a spiritual theorist that offers ideas and insight about conscious living that are abstract. A person with whom I regularly correspond wishes to discover the secrets to conscious awareness. Firstly, living in a state of unattached presence is not a secret. Furthermore, and therefore, no one has a magical wand that summons conscious living. One moment any given person is consciously aware. And, the next he or she is not aware. Our practice is to overcome temptations of the mind that can pull us back into the darkness of unconscious behavior.

theorist

She recently wrote that I base my writings on theories that are actually just projections of the mind. Her reaction was due to frustration. I suggested that she attempt to practice non-attachment in decisions relating to daily activities. I have never offered her any background stories of my experiences as a person. Therefore, the term theorist was the best explanation she had for my ideas and insight. The mind convinced her that I speak strictly from theory and not from experience. I share this with now to assure you that you, me and everyone experience all aspects of our human existence. It is not necessary to debate if any given person knows more or does more. Such categorizations only weaken conscious awareness. The act of being is universal to everyone and everything. Therefore, the unconditional acceptance of our beingness offers conscious enlightenment. Continue reading