Wake up!

 

Conscious living,

mindful choices,

being awake and aware…

herein lies the magic

to creating the life

 you desire

and deserve.

 

Too often we float through life

in a dream-like trance,

sleep-walking through the motions,

unaware of what we’re doing,

paying no attention,

losing time in moments

and days.

 

Wake up!

Wake up and choose

who you want to be,

how you want to be,

and what this beautiful life of yours

will look like today.

 

What will it reflect about you?

How will it nourish you?

What will be meaningful

and fulfilling and exciting

in a life lived consciously?

How will you spend your time?

Who will be with you?

How will you honor your body

and your spirit

on this day?

 

So, I wrote this yesterday as a wake-up call to myself... a reminder to be present, to be mindful, to be conscious.  And, then I "consciously" watched myself make choices that maybe weren't "the best" for me. I chose blueberry pancakes AND eggs, instead of just eggs. I chose pasta AND baklava for dinner, because I wanted them, even though I might have felt better if I had had the salad.  So, were those conscious choices?  Yes! Because I was aware as I was making them - aware that I was making them and aware of what the consequences would be, and choosing anyway.  Were they mindful?  Maybe not, but having the awareness of what I was doing allowed me to decide to be ok with the choices I was making in that moment. Therefore I could be ok with me. Today I was more conscious AND mindful, and I chose to take the time to cut up veggies for salad for lunch instead of mindlessly throwing leftover pizza into the microwave (which would have been so much easier)! 

 

Consciousness requires awareness and diligence. It is not easy, and It often requires that we do what is "less easy."  But, in the end, it is so worth it as we more carefully honor our bodies and our spirits to live in a way that feels authentically good to us, as the people we are, not because we're making choices that someone else has told us we "should" make.  Consciousness, mindfulness, and awareness are practices that demand repetition. They are the tools with which we can begin to change our old ways, ways that may no longer serve us. 

 

How about you? How are you living a conscious, mindful, awake and aware life? We'd love to hear!  Please leave a comment below!!

 

 

In the Swamp

Every now and then I find myself
Stuck,
Deep in a dank and dark place,
Unable to see the light,
     even though I know it's there. 

Held here by my fears.
Held tightly by the negativity I feel
     within myself and from others.
Bound to this nasty place
Too weak to fight for fresh air

I feel the thoughts and attitudes of others
     wrap around me and pull me in.

I can't breathe here.
I can't remember who I am.
I don't know how I got here
     or how long I'll stay.

But for now it feels like this is
     all there is.

And, so I surrender.

And in that moment of letting go,
     a light of possibility emerges.
As I embrace the discomfort that
surrounds me, it loses its hold
and I no longer have to stay.

Walk through the World Awake and Aware

What does it mean to be awake and aware?
It means to notice,
to listen,
to really hear,
to see,
to take in
the messages that are all around me.

It means to be conscious,
to notice how things affect me
and how what I do impacts others.

It means to choose consciously
what I do,
what I am around,
where I put my energy.

It means to be wise,
to listen to my own inner guidance,
to heed the red flags,
to breathe,
to learn,
to grow.

It means to face reality
and not sleep in denial.

And when I see reality,
to consciously decide how I will show up.

Who am I?
Who do I want to be?
Who is my best self, and
how do I access her no matter what?

Who do I align myself with?
Who drains me?
How do I stay in the right arena?

When I am awake and aware,
my mind can sleep, and
my heart will drive,
and I will end up where I am
     meant to be. 


(thank you to Robin Higgins for teaching me about being awake and aware many years ago!)