Awareness of Awareness

When we come into this earth plane as infants there’s a primitive spacial awareness of our environment and a vast undeveloped consciousness that rapidly grows to help us in this finite physical world. Everything is an interconnected mystery but as infants we’re not aware of our awareness. As souls taking on human form, we move increasingly from our open infinite awareness of formlessness to the more restrictive finite consciousness of form. Identification with cultures and physical realities eventually suppresses awareness of this non physical space.

There is in every human being, an innate longing and capacity for experiencing the unitive union that was once known but forgotten. There’s an inner knowing that everything belongs, that all things are connected and come from the same Source. For better and worse the dualistic mind grows and the ego develops within each of us. The mystery and wonder of the infinite ‘IAM-ness’ is replaced with the insecurity of the finite ‘iam.‘ Fear overshadows our environments infecting us with ‘not enough-ness’. We get stuck in our objectifying exclusions.

Having forgotten our Infinite nature, we now live from the self-enclosed perspective of ‘me.‘ All otherness is a threat to this small field of contraction and selfishness. Rather than living from the abundance and unconditional love we essentially are, we live from a place of conditioned scarcity. We learn to follow the rules or make up our own. We become a part of a tribe that can help protect us and war against anyone or anything that isn’t us. We disconnect and everyone not ‘us’ is a threat which pits ‘us’ against ‘them’ whoever they are. This is Life’s First Journey.

Meanwhile the IAM, Source and Infinite Self within and without that’s present everywhere   presences, sends messages vibrationally, and energetically helps us all wake up in various experiential ways. The overarching mission of conscious evolution however gets lost in the shuffle as billions of ‘iams’ vie for power, control, recognition and enough-ness. Life becomes an unconscious push and shove with more selfishness, pride, arrogance, oppression and despair whether we know it or not. Are we having fun yet? Isn’t this a little nuts? What’s next?

At some point along life’s journey many of us wake up and wonder why life is such a struggle. We begin to sense something within that feels different. We start giving attention to these feelings or we work harder, let our energy drop, get sick or numb out with a variety of different substances and distractions. We keep driving and striving or drop out, unaware of our culturally conditioned mechanical life that’s out of touch with the Infinite beings we are. There are others however who follow the wake up calls, become aware, realign  and enter the second journey.

Here’s where we become aware of our awareness. Here’s where we stop projecting all our fragmentation and disconnection onto others to take responsibility for our own lives. Here’s where we begin what’s called ‘self observation’, to see from an inner place of witnessing how we are acting against our best interests and those of others. Here we allow our feelings to be our guidance system, to become aware of what feels positive, fulfilling, loving and joyous as well as what feels negative, unfulfilling, fearful, and denying. Here we stop being mechanical. 

How aware are you of the contrasts in your life and how they can help you ‘wake up’? How much effort do you give to self observation and Self Remembering? How much attention do you give to how you’re feeling and what these feelings are trying to communicate to you? How often do you reflect on who you really are and become aware of the lovingkindness, joyful abundance and peaceful presence flowing in, around and through you? Could it be time for your Second Journey? If so, it ends and begins right here and now with you and me as we explore and integrate the ABC’s of Change. It can be a fun practice of love and liberation, so let’s go . . .

• Today and for the rest of the year sit quietly with your journal and let the questions posed here take root in you. Put your pen to the paper and simply write what comes. Allow yourself the luxury of this free writing and awaken to what emerges. Let this be your gift to you . . .
• Before or after your journaling or at another time during the day, monitor how you’re feeling emotionally. Find an affirmation to give yourself, an optimistic intention to ease into, a gracious acceptance of who you are, a loving appreciation for all that’s brought you to this moment. Rest in this space to relax and realign with your essence, your infinite Self by breathing with it.
• Go back to the above quote by Anthony de Mello and focus on one of the awarenesses you’re being invited into. When you feel as if you’ve touched something significant here, move to another and another……Spend time with these everyday and allow this to become a practice of becoming aware of your awareness. Be still, journal, realign regularly and enter into joy. . .