Awareness = Impetus for Change

Being aware of how you write and speak will drastically change the impact you have on your environment. For example, instead of saying “we are going to accomplish x”, say “we will accomplish x”.  The former is passive and the latter is active. The difference between “going to” and “will” is vast. “Will” implies intent whereas “going to” implies it may be completed should the unicorn jump over the rainbow and the leprechaun will relinquish his pot of gold. Thus kill as many words that end in “ing” that you can from your vocabulary and become declarative. This subtle change will give clear concise, direction to what it is you hope to accomplish.

An awareness of the voice in your mind will allow you to acknowledge what lies your own mind is telling you on a daily basis. Without an awareness that there is an undertone of negativity, doubt and fear; such emotions will control your performance and outcomes. Observing such thoughts without prejudice will slowly allow you to change your mind to begin making positive changes of the environment you inhabit.

When someone tells you something, how do you respond? Do you immediately respond with judgements, opinions and ideas? If so, you may be wasting valuable resources that could be used elsewhere. The most powerful response is non-response. When a co-worker tells you the latest scuttlbutt in the office, neither affirm or negate what you are being told. Nothing in the World is good or bad, until we label it as such.

Observing how others react to various circumstances is a mirror for yourself. Labeling the reactions of others as either good or bad allows you to be sucked into their drama. Instead, remain objective and simply observe without judgment. Below is short story to illustrate on how  a man was able to remain object despite his friend’s prompting to get caught up in human drama:

There was once a man who suddenly lost his job. His friend said, “man that is terrible; how unlucky for you to have lost your job in this economy.” The man simply responded, “is that so”? Later, the same friend found out that the upper level executives two months later were sentenced to 25 years in prison for embezzlement, which again his friend came back and said, “boy you are lucky you lost your job, otherwise you would be wrapped up in this mess”. The man simply responded, “is that so”? Two weeks later, the same man was in a terrible rock climbing accident which landed him two weeks in the hospital. Again, his friend visited him and said, “you have got to be the unluckiest man on Earth”! The man again, not judging his circumstances stated, “is that so”? On the man’s last day in the hospital, his friend came running down the hall frantic and turned on the news for the man to see. His whole neighborhood was engulfed in flames as a construction company nicked a gas line and blew up the whole neighborhood. His friend, came back and said, “you are so lucky that you were in the hospital, otherwise you would have been caught up in that explosion”! With that, the man responded, “is that so”?

The man in the aforementioned story, remained objective and open to his circumstances. He was not a victim of fate. Instead, his response was simply, “is that so”? His friend, who was caught up in the drama of life, reacted to circumstance rather than remain an objective observer. He judged the circumstance and labeled it as good or bad, fortunate or unfortunate. Therefore, keep a keen eye and observe the reactions of those around you to notice the subtle traps of human drama.

All things are meaningless! Seriously, there is not one thing bound by form that is of any importance. Money, houses, cars, even relationships; all meaningless apart from God. The simple act of being aware that everything is meaningless will change the way you respond to all circumstances. Shakespeare said it best, “nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so”. The detachment from “things” will increase joy and increase your level of presence.

Those with the greatest power are ones who elicit no response to trivial matters (since all things bound by form are trivial, they realize the futility of visceral responses) and do not get caught up in human drama. Instead they remain present and are able to accomplish great feats without the clutter and nuance of Worldly distractions.

Be aware of your defensive tendencies. Your defensiveness exemplifies a greater underlying dysfunction that must be addressed to keep your mind clear and able to change for the better. The World will treat you as it is perceived. If you perceive everyone is out to get you, this will be so. If you perceive those around you are trying to accomplish tasks for the greater good, such will be the case.

Final Thoughts

Without awareness change will not occur, You must examine your thought processes and recognize inherent dysfunctions where they arise, acknowledge the dysfunction and make a change. By noticing the power of words, observing yours and others’ reactions, realizing that everything is meaningless, embracing nonresponsiveness and noticing your defensive tendencies, you will be able to bring awareness to your everyday life and begin changing your environment for the better. Therefore, awaken and change the World!