Being Awake: Mindfulness and Consciousness

We talk a lot about this idea of "consciousness."

For centuries, a parade of ostensible "gurus" have talked about the importance of "being awake" and the importance of mindfulness... and the objective of living "consciously."

Dragonfly, Oak Creek, Sedona

For the most part, we have some sort of conceptual idea of what these "feel like," but what are they really, where the rubber meets the road?

One of the (generally unspoken) issues within the Conscious Community is an unfortunate tendency for people to dwell excessively "in the ethers," while broadly ignoring-- or even outright dismissing-- what's happening in regular 3D space.

We can absolutely be completely Zen and At One with the Universe while at a Yoga or Meditation retreat with fellow seekers, while sitting at a remote retreat center somewhere in the mountains.

That perfectly Conscious state is not quite as easy to maintain when the phone is ringing, while our boss is yelling at us, and we have several looming deadlines to meet.

And that's where many teachers in the Conscious Community sometimes (often?) miss the boat. Much as we would like the world to be otherwise, most of us do have to interface with daily reality.

So the challenge lies in making conscious choices while still being in the world.

And that has to start with simply being aware and awake in your own life... rather than just drifting along on cruise control. And that's where we run into one of the first challenges of Consciousness: Being awake is work!

Are YOU awake?

Asleep at the Wheel

We live in a world that encourages us to surf through life on autopilot.

Looking towards the distant horizon...

We have created a system that encourages us to not think for ourselves-- after all there are manuals and guidebooks for everything... so why think for ourselves when someone has already thought for us? Besides, who has the time to think for themselves at the end of a 60-hour work week?

Much is said and written about "Consciousness" and "Waking Up" and "Living in the Present." People talk about the "Ascension" of humanity. But what do these buzzwords really mean? And how do we become more Conscious in our daily lives?

Is is even possible to have a "global definition" for such concepts that-- surely-- are incredibly individual?

From where I am sitting, I say "no." We must each find what we believe Consciousness to be, and then contribute that towards developing a greater and more aware whole.

My Consciousness and your Consciousness may be nothing alike... but I'd expect the underlying intents to be similar: What can we do to leave this world a better place for us having been here?

What does "Consciousness" mean, to you?