By Chrissie Dimitri-Cooper
The clarity that comes with awareness serves to wake us up.
There is so much beauty around us. How much of it are we truly aware of? Do we look at it with the wonderment of a child, as if we are seeing it for the first time? We all notice the splendour of the colourful spring flowers, which are so welcome after winter, but are we awake enough to appreciate the life force that manifests through them to bring their beauty into existence? For many people, the answer is probably “No”. For those who are more awake and aspire to live in the moment, the answer may be “Sometimes”.
Nevertheless, even when aspiring to be aware, we can be under the illusion we are seeing clearly. The state of heightened awareness, as distinct from everyday observation, only takes place when we are able to put aside our conditioned thinking. This is more difficult than it appears, particularly when it comes to relationships.
How aware are you of those you know well and with whom you have an emotional connection? Bring to mind someone close to you and see if you can recall the colour of their eyes and any distinguishing marks they have.
You might be aware of their physicality, but how awake are you to their inner life? Are you aware of their feelings or only of your own? Do you believe you know, from past experience, what to expect from them or are you able to see them as they are in that moment?
If we can suspend our sense of knowing, and our expectations, and just be open, we are rewarded with a more expanded viewpoint. Our own behaviour changes in response to our new outlook, which influences the other person’s expectation of us, and in turn their behaviour.
Awareness brings transformation. When we begin to see things as they are, without the filters through which we habitually look, wonderful things can happen.
Cultivating awareness is an ongoing process, which practices like mindfulness meditation and Jin Shin Jyutsu® self-help will naturally lead us into. It is not something that can be rushed or acquired in a weekend!
“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.”
Henry Miller