Opening to my Life

Opening to my Life

Take a moment and notice what’s around you. Notice any sounds, any smells, notice the space you occupy. Notice sensations on your skin, points of contact or pressure, clenchy muscles, breath, your insides. Notice your feelings, your emotions, your thoughts.

Oh, awareness.

I go on and on about a lot of stuff, and awareness is one of those things. Being aware brings a quality to our lives that shines. With awareness comes clarity, and we make better choices. With awareness, we slow down a bit and remember stuff like that habit we want to change, or that we we decided not to make plans on Friday.

Why am I aware? How am I mindful? What makes me present?

As I have told you many times, I was a sad case in days of yore. I lived in my head, and there were big consequences. I didn’t know how I felt, beyond bad. I was in a lot of discomfort all the time, my poor body screaming at me to take care of it, and I paid no attention unless it flattened me. I tripped, bumped, stumbled, ran into things, snagged myself, cut me and burned me on all sorts of things, and generally felt like a klutz.

I’m not anymore.

It took practice. You can call it action, if you want, or choosing, or doing. I put a rubberband on my wrist, and every time I noticed it, I would notice my feet, and if I were sitting, my bottom, and then my breath. I practiced every single day, except when I didn’t. But I practiced a lot. When I was going to cut bread or something like that, I got present, and paid attention to the task.

When I choose to be aware, things take less time because I am paying attention to the thing, not meandering around in my noggin. So then I have time to stop and think about stuff safely.

When I choose to be aware, I enjoy my moments more. I can notice the nice stuff going on around me. I am able to recognize blessings, and gifts, and opportunities way more easily, and can choose to enjoy them.

When I choose to be aware, I can consider my decisions. It’s easier for me to remember what I’m doing, what my goals are, where my path is, and to make choices that honor those directions.

When I choose to be aware, I remember to relax. I remember to soften my clenched muscles, soften my clenched thoughts, soften my clenched feelings. When I choose to relax, I can let go of all sorts of things that used to clog up my insides.

Why do I live my natural life?

When I choose to be aware, I choose my natural life. I choose to find bliss, I choose peace. I choose to be well, to focus on how I feel good, on how I know this is right for me. I learn to read my non-verbal communications with myself. I choose to live my life, rather than letting my life live me.

How have I changed from feeling unconscious to being aware?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 06142014