Saturday, September 26, 2009

Awakening

Pelican, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

We begin by realizing that our lives no longer work for us. We start to understand that we have been programmed and have been acting in accordance with our conditioning. We grow tired of being fearful, angry and uneasy. We careen from desire to frustration, remembering painful memories from the past and imagining an uncertain and frightening future. The things that used to make us feel better no longer work. We are terrified of illness and death and we dread getting older. We finally ask ourselves whether there is another way to live? An answer immediately comes to us: "There is!" This is the beginning of awakening.

Once we decide that we want to live another way, all of the tools necessary to awaken will be offered to us, if we will only open our eyes to them. The answer is simple. We need only recognize what we already are, Pure Awareness. Pure Awareness is our attention without judgment or beliefs. Once we align our attention with the Awareness that permeates all things, we will finally achieve clarity. Doubt, insecurity, fear and unhappiness will fade, and be replaced with wisdom, peace, joy and love.

There are many means to live mindfully. Everybody's path is different (of course, as we travel down the path, we will soon realize that there is no path). We should choose the tools that best suit us. Nobody can tell us what is best for us. We can figure that out for ourselves. The tools are endless: We might find a meditation class or a book that will teach us how to meditate. We might try yoga or Tai Chi. We might find our true selves in nature. We might learn how to bring our attention away from compulsive thinking and into the present moment. We might temporarily learn from a teacher, although if we stay too long with one, there may be a danger that we will associate awakening with that person. Ultimately, we will tread down the path alone.

Let's wake up and live the life we choose to live.

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