Spiritual Solutions

(Note: This is the fifth lesson adapted from the series “Steady in the Wind,” by Ann Strong, of www.thrivingcoaches.com. Ann kindly gave me permission to adapt and use parts of the lessons in my blog and newsletter. I believe you will find much value in applying the twelve life principles covered in this course. Enjoy!)

WELCOME TO:
Lesson Five: Awareness

Please listen to the audio first by clicking on the link below, and then let’s read the lesson together.

Lesson Five: Awareness

In this lesson, we will cover awareness, which helps us recognize and enjoy opportunities we may well have missed without our deliberate focus. We create our universe through our awareness.

There are two components to awareness. The first component is attention. To what are you giving your attention?

Giving attention to the negative tends to bring more of the negative into our experience. If we are peaceful and positive in our attention we tend to bring about health, wholeness, peace, joy and harmony.

Awareness begins with paying attention to your observations. Notice what is going on inside you and what is going on around you.

INTERNAL AWARENESS

You can develop internal awareness by paying attention to how you feel both physically and emotionally. Do you have a headache now? Do you remember that you didn’t have it an hour ago? What shifted in that hour? Or do you feel happy, centered, and peaceful? Or, do you feel anxious? Nervous? Sad? Angry? When did you start feeling anxious?

A friend, using these guidelines many years ago, remembered she’d be in a great mood. Then, for no apparent reason, she’d get into a bad mood. She felt really frustrated that her mood would shift without her knowing why. So, she decided to find out.

What she discovered: music profoundly affected her. Her mood would shift to melancholy with a song on the radio! She also learned that she took on other people’s feelings. If she had a conversation with someone angry, she took that in. She didn’t notice it at first because she wouldn’t walk away angry. She’d feel sad that the other person was mad. Or, she’d feel hurt that she took her anger out on her. Or, she’d feel anxious and try to fix her anger.

Once she began to choose her music carefully, her mood didn’t shift as much. Then, she learned to stay with herself and her own experience rather than jump into the other person’s experience with her. She says, “Wow, did that make a difference!”

The Second Component of Awareness

You probably noticed as you read that last paragraph that the second component of awareness is intention. As we become aware that our attention is being directed to those things which bring about an undesirable outcome in our life, we can then direct our attention with an intention to bring about the change we want.

INTERNAL AWARENESS CHECKLIST

Physical:
    How do I feel?
    If I feel less than healthy, vibrant and energized, what needs attention?
    Am I eating enough nourishing, whole foods?
    Do I need to eat more frequently or more regularly?
    Am I getting enough exercise?
    Do I get enough sunshine and fresh air?
    Am I sleeping enough?
    Have I properly attended to any health concerns or am I ignoring them?

Emotional:
    How do I feel?
    If I feel less than happy, centered, peaceful and energized, what needs attention?
    Have I taken on other people’s stuff?
    Have I been beating up on myself?
    Does my environment need changing - less noise, more light, fewer people, more
    inspiration?
    Do I need an attitude adjustment?

If we don’t feel well, either physically or emotionally, we won’t have as much awareness of what’s going on around us. We won’t notice or be available to enjoy opportunities that come our way. Become aware of what’s happening inside you before you pay attention to what’s going on around you.

EXTERNAL AWARENESS

As you become more aware of what’s going on inside you, you’re less likely to react to what’s going on around you. You naturally hold steady in the wind. Now, you can look around and notice all the opportunities surrounding you.

Do you notice a pattern in what people have told you this week? Have you heard the same message from several sources? How does this apply to the different areas of your life?

The best way to find opportunities you haven’t seen before: tell people what you’ve been doing. The next time someone says, “So, what have you been doing lately?” instead of saying, “Oh, working and going to the kids’ softball games,” tell them a story.

Talk about whatever feels important to you now. Are you learning Spanish? Remodeling your house? Planning a vacation to Italy?

Another great way to uncover opportunities: ask for what you want. “Do you know a good piano teacher in the neighborhood? Who remodeled your bathroom? Would you recommend them? Have you ever vacationed in Italy?”

Awareness opens you up to the natural flow of both giving and receiving. When your neighbor asks you about Italy, loan him your favorite guidebook. When a colleague asks you how you get so many referrals, share your system. When a friend needs a veterinarian, give her the name and phone number of yours. Offer generously. What you put out, so you get back (multiplied, actually). Give to your neighbor as you’d like to be given to.

As you become more and more aware, you will routinely experience what you might call serendipity, synchronicity, coincidence, magic or miracles. What a delightful way to live!

HOW AWARENESS APPLIES TO LIVING STEADY IN THE WIND

With awareness comes a natural ability to hold steady in the wind. The wind usually doesn’t catch you off guard. And if it does occasionally, you simply bring your focus back to awareness and re-steady yourself in the wind.

EXAMPLE OF AWARENESS

Ann Strong shared that, years ago, she came out of one too many meetings with a headache when she had gone into the meeting feeling fine! That day, she realized she needed to do things by committee most sparingly.

A couple of years after that, she noticed she didn’t get a headache from meetings that she led. So today she serves on very few committees. Most that she join, she leads or she gets involved in a way that she can do a task without attending the meetings. She also meets with people one-on-one, which works beautifully for her.

PRACTICE AWARENESS THIS WEEK

Several times a day, check in with yourself. How do you feel, physically and emotionally? What will make you feel even better?

What is going on around you?

Look for opportunities. Talk about what feels most exciting to you. Ask for what you want. Find out what others need. Give it to them.

Record your findings in your evidence journal.

CONTINUE PRACTICING COMMITMENT THIS WEEK

Have you written your commitment? Are you recording evidence in your journal that supports your commitment?

CONTINUE PRACTICING COMMANDING THIS WEEK AND BEYOND

What have you chosen to command or claim? Are you recording evidence in your journal? What is showing up for you?

CONTINUE PRACTICING VISIONING THIS WEEK

Whenever you feel stuck, do you write out a vision? Are you tracking evidence for all your visions?

CONTINUE PRACTICING DEEP LISTENING

Are you integrating both deep listening within and deep listening to others into your natural, regular routine?

CONTINUE PRACTICING YOUR OBSERVER ROLE

Is observation becoming a natural part of your life and work?

Next week, you will receive Lesson Six: Openness.

Until then have fun with awareness, commitment, commanding, visioning, listening deeply and observing.

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
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Rev. Alan Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-six years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com/

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