My name is Jeff Beldevony,
And today I'd like to talk about the power of our awareness and how we can develop it and use it to create a more mindful,
Authentic,
And empowered life.
When we're not being mindful,
We tend to resist those experiences in life that we don't like,
As well as the uncomfortable emotions they often create within us.
We tend to run from these emotions or try to ignore them or stuff them away somehow.
We typically do everything that we can to get away from them.
And this makes perfect sense,
Of course,
Because even though they're part of our reality,
They don't feel good,
And we don't really want to have to experience them.
So unless we're being mindful,
Our default reaction is to try to get away from these unpleasant emotions as quickly as we can.
And of course,
We're all really good at doing this.
When we're feeling frustrated or sad or lonely,
For example,
Instead of acknowledging the validity of those feelings and allowing them to be present within us,
Instead of allowing them to simply be,
We often look for things that will make them go away.
So we might turn to unhealthy relationships or to things like alcohol or food,
Or we might start scrolling through our phones.
We'll do anything to take our minds off how we're feeling.
We'll do anything to get us away from what we're experiencing in our inner world in this very moment.
But when we do that,
We're not just running away from our emotions,
We're actually running away from ourselves.
When we do that,
We're trying to cover up or avoid those very parts of us that we've deemed undesirable.
But mindfulness teaches us to do the opposite.
It teaches us to run to ourselves,
No matter what we're feeling,
Rather than constantly looking outside of us and turning to sources of comfort and distraction,
Like those who might find in a TV show or a beer.
Mindfulness gives us the tools that we need to be ever more present with ourselves and with life in every moment.
By practicing mindfulness meditation,
We're not only going to become better at acknowledging these difficult emotions within us,
But we're also going to become more aware of just how active and alive our inner world is.
You see,
Until we begin looking within ourselves,
So much of what goes on within us does so without us even being aware of it.
Yet as we start looking within,
We're going to begin to start noticing just how many thoughts we have and how they can stir up a variety of emotions and sensations within us,
Some of which are pleasant and others not.
And we're also going to realize how our mind is super easily distracted by these thoughts,
Emotions,
And sensations.
And we're going to begin to notice how it wants to constantly jump around like a curious little monkey running toward the ones it likes and desperately avoiding those it doesn't.
Yet as we continue meditating and observing our inner world,
We'll also begin to realize how we can find a greater sense of control and clarity within this constantly changing inner world.
We're going to realize that we can always remember to bring our awareness back to the breath whenever it gets drawn away.
And we're going to see how we can use our breath as an anchor,
How it can become something that we can constantly bring our attention back to when it strays.
But most importantly,
By practicing being mindful and beginning to explore our inner world,
We're going to begin to realize,
And this is super important,
We're going to begin to realize that even before we'd started meditating and taking the time to close our eyes and look inside and explore our inner world in this way,
It was all still going on.
Our inner world was just as alive.
Our inner world,
Whether we were aware of it or not,
Was active.
And we had just as many thoughts,
Fears and sensations going on within us,
Even though we perhaps didn't even realize or want to admit that they were even there.
And before we truly became aware of all of these thoughts and emotions,
We would have just let them lead us around without even knowing they were doing it.
For just as when we're meditating and are able to see how our awareness is constantly being drawn away toward whatever catches its attention,
So too are we unwittingly pulled in whatever direction our mind takes us in our daily lives.
And unless we make a choice to notice how this is happening,
Unless we become more mindful,
We'll never even realize that it is.
We'll continue to be led around by our unconscious thoughts and emotions,
And all of our old unconscious patterns of craving and aversion will,
In effect,
In many ways,
Run our lives.
It will be,
In a very real sense,
As if we have very little choice in many of the decisions in our lives.
Because,
You see,
We won't even be making them on some level.
They'll just be made for us from some unseen and unconscious place deep within us.
But we do have a choice in every moment,
A choice that can lead us back into ourselves,
A choice that can help us feel in control once again,
A choice that can let us see just how influenced we've been by our unconscious inner world and all of the unseen craving and aversion that's been going on within us for so long.
This is a choice that can help us better understand the way that our inner world works,
And one that can help us better accept whatever we're experiencing in any moment.
This is a choice that can allow us to learn from whatever that moment is trying to teach us.
This is a choice that can show us who we truly are,
And help liberate us from the unconscious habits and beliefs and old patterns that live deep within us.
And this choice is the choice of awareness,
Of self-awareness,
Of our inner world,
And all of the previously unacknowledged thoughts,
Feelings,
And sensations that reside there.
And as we continue becoming more mindful,
We'll keep growing in awareness.
We'll start to see more clearly our constantly changing inner world,
And begin to more intentionally and consciously observe it.
And as we do this,
We'll begin learning from all of our experiences,
And begin responding to them with insight,
Wisdom,
And compassion,
Instead of just blindly reacting to them.
We'll become more real and empowered.
We'll become more connected with ourselves and with other people in our lives,
And we'll grow in happiness,
Wholeness,
And inner peace.
And this choice,
This choice of self-awareness,
Is one that is ours to make in every moment when we're being mindful.
