Counteracting Awareness Shift

Life seems to have been heading in a better direction. Our awareness has increased, and this has been a mostly positive experience as we’ve kept that awareness squarely focused in a forward direction. Then, our awareness begins to shift. This is natural. If we continue only looking forward, we begin to lose track of where we are today. There must be some reason for our mind to begin to wander once again. If there is no reason, it’s just laxity that is at work.

Sometimes, we can experience this awareness shift as depression or sadness; sometimes, we experience it as fear or anxiety. There are countless emotional, mental and even physical ways this shift may present itself. It may even correspond with physical pains or syndromes that have become commonplace in today’s society. Sometimes, the symptoms can be clues as to what is compelling the mind to shift. Mostly, these symptoms are simply distracting us from moving forward.

Regardless of our reaction to awareness shift, we need to find our way through it. This is going to be difficult, but we’re dropping designations; this is going to happen, and we’re going to make our way through. We need only keep attempting to find our way and eventually we will.

As we explore this process, we should apply the familiar tool of patience. We must also avoid using our shifting awareness as a weapon against ourselves as this can compound the pain and the suffering. We’re not adding any extra weight to what we’re already carrying. Yes, we are at the heart of our awareness shift, but we’re not helping by creating additional obstacles. Always use a light touch when taking on the internal.

It is always useful to focus on our breath, or some other natural process, anything that we don’t have to use our mind to control. Sometimes, we may be unable to focus our entire mind on anything for even a second. When this happens, we can attempt to feel our way through that internal world.

The way you interact with your mind is a key to understanding how it works, and we need to learn the language it speaks. Sometimes, it speaks in visuals, sometimes in feelings, sometimes in physical sensations, sometimes memories or dreams, sometimes not at all. If we don’t begin to form a relationship with our mind, we may miss vital messages or input that only it can deliver.

We’re maintaining patience, we’re using a light touch, and we’re continuing to focus on breathing.

Now, we begin to explore this awareness shift. What is the mental motivation to hold us back? What is the mental motivation to look backward? What is the mental motivation to fear moving forward? What is the mental motivation to begin shutting down awareness of right here and right now?

We can ask countless questions, but the answers may be fleeting and may not be useful. In fact, the questions could be the pivot, the awareness shift. The mind is trying to find something, anything to hold onto. When we move forward in life, we’re leaving behind this attachment-style living. All the old ways are expressing themselves as ground to stand upon; all the possibilities are expressed as fear, elation and anxiety.

Our mind wants to move forward, but it is hesitant to do so. We need to nourish the mind, care for it, for it is our only vessel in pursuit of progress. We do this through many methods. Caring for our physical condition is crucial, as the body is the mind’s only vessel to affect the external world. Even when considering physical limitations or chronic physical conditions, the way we think and feel about our body is vital to what we can do with it. Sometimes, our physical limitations can block our mental and emotional pathways to progress, but only if we allow them to be obstacles. We can always reach outside of our body with our mind, regardless of physical limitation.

The mind can do anything. When left to its own devices, the mind can run non-stop, achieving nothing, or retire to a state of laxity, achieving nothing. We can direct the mind and thwart this awareness shift. We have to not only take ownership over this life, but we have to become the director, the captain, the CEO of this life. If we don’t task the mind, it will do what it wants.

Through caring for and tasking the mind and body, we can stop awareness shifts from paralyzing us and halting our progress. This requires effort and care. If we only focus on one of these, we’re cutting off one of our life legs, and we need both to continue forward. If we don’t think we can affect change in our internal world, we’ll never be able to affect directed change in the external one.

Change is going to take place regardless of our input. It is far better to own and direct our role than to cede this to conditions, situations and others. We can do anything. We need only try.