Mindful Awareness: Making a Choice

When we have the will and intention to change, where to we start? Set goals? Start waking up at 5am to practice a new routine? Tell our friends?

Ironically, one of the first steps in transformation and integration (becoming whole) is to do nothing. Very annoying or liberating, depending on your perspective!

In order to change, we must first become conscious of what is. That's right, the first step toward change is to accept the present...to simply "pay attention, on purpose" as noted mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat Zinn explains: "Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”.

Mindfulness: From Unconscious Reacting to Conscious Responding

When we pay attention to the present moment, we can be aware of what arises and make new choices about how we respond. When we consciously respond, rather than unconsciously react, we start the process of transformation in our lives.

In his famous memoir Man's Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl reminds us that "“[e]verything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” And in order to choose, we must first become mindful of the microsecond between a triggering event and our response. Conscious educators respond with conscious intention, rather than unconsciously reacting.

For example, if we are learning to maintain boundaries in our professional lives in order to protect our personal lives, we need to become mindful about our options when someone asks us to join a new committee or teach a new class or lead a project that someone else can't finish. When we're unconsciously reacting, we might say "yes" from a deep-seated need for external validation (I for one, have been guilty of this!) rather than "no, thank you" because we're already overworked.

So What?

If you've been reacting rather than responding, if you're not sure where or when things are getting out of control, you might consider the following questions:

• How long does it take me to answer a request for my time and energy? What factors do I weigh in the decision?

• What unconscious motivations, needs, and desires might be undermining my energy and happiness?

• How often do I feel resentful or triggered at work?

• Do I often blame others for my circumstances?

If you are ready to liberate yourself from unconscious living and tune in to a life of alignment for more energy, joy, and fun I invite you to

• Consider or write about the questions above.

• Join me for 1:1 coaching.

• Take a mindfulness or meditation class.

• Download (and use) a mindfulness app like Calm or Headspace.

• Sit quietly for 2-5 minutes per day, attending to your breath, and/or

• Explore free mindfulness meditations on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud or wherever else you can find them.

I'm glad you read this today. I'm here to help.

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