Day four,
Awareness.
Welcome back.
In the last session,
We discussed the concept of attachments in Toltec teachings.
We learned how our emotional bonds with beliefs,
People,
Objects,
Or experiences can limit our freedom and happiness by making us overly dependent on external factors.
We explored the importance of recognizing these attachments to gain true freedom and happiness.
Today's objective is to delve deeply into the concept of awareness,
Which is the cornerstone of our strategy in self-mastery.
The theory for this section states that developing awareness allows us to understand the origins of our thoughts and decisions,
Distinguishing between those stemming from true self,
Domestication,
And attachments.
So far,
We've learned that attachments and domestication can take away control from our true selves and hand it over to things outside of ourselves.
We've been taken over and we don't even know it to some degree.
We think it is us,
That it's us in the driver's seat,
But it is our domestication and attachment that may be driving us.
Yet they are not us.
They are foreign invaders.
We must fight them back to regain some of this control that has been lost.
And that fight starts with awareness.
I know I've mentioned awareness before,
But we will delve a little further into it because it is the cornerstone of the strategy.
Awareness is crucial in our journey to self-mastery and it allows us to discern the source of our choices.
Is it coming from our domestication?
In the service of our attachments or the choices reflect our genuine self?
Let me explain awareness a bit more.
It's the skill of being fully present and attentive to both our external environment and our internal thoughts.
It means paying attention to what's happening around us and inside our mind,
Understanding our thoughts and where they come from.
And this practice helps us discover our real likes,
Our real dislikes and the influences that have shaped us.
It's a way of connecting deeply with both ourselves and the world around us.
By practicing awareness,
We can make choices based on our true desires and our true preferences rather than just repeating patterns set by our past influences.
And this freedom lets us shape our own paths and contribute to the world in our unique way.
Without awareness,
We're likely to keep repeating the same actions influenced by old beliefs and old patterns.
And this isn't true freedom.
It's like being on autopilot,
Living according to what we've been conditioned to be rather than who we truly are.
And this cycle leads to repetitive situations and choices,
Leaving us wondering why things never change.
So here's the practice.
Understanding the source of your choices.
Choose a recent decision that you've made and reflect on it.
Write down the factors that influenced this choice,
Considering whether it stemmed from learned behaviors like domestication or attachments to people or attachments to things.
Or if it truly reflected your authentic self.
Think about the emotions you felt during this decision-making process and how they might have swayed your decision.
Were you seeking approval?
Were you seeking comfort or authenticity?
Contemplate if this choice aligns with your core values and personal beliefs.
I know,
It's a lot of work to do.
This exercise aims to differentiate between decisions shaped by external factors and those that genuinely resonate with your inner self.
And so let's sum this up plainly together.
Awareness enables us to discern the source of our choice and make decisions that reflect our true selves.
What do you think?
In what ways can increasing your awareness help you make more authentic choices,
Authentic decisions?
How can practicing awareness change your everyday experiences?
How to self-baseline to measure for success?
Maintain a daily log where you record key decisions or actions taken throughout the day.
And for each entry,
Reflect and note whether the decision was influenced by external factors such as societal norms or expectations,
Or by personal attachments.
Or if it felt like a choice stemming from your true self was made.
At the end of each week,
Review your log to identify any patterns.
Are more decisions being made from an authentic place rather than from external pressures or attachments?
The goal is to see an increase in decisions that originate from your genuine self,
Indicating a growth in awareness and personal autonomy.
If you can do this,
To any degree,
You're definitely on the right track.
Congratulations,
We've reached the end of this session.
And in the next session,
We will focus on unconditional love and how it can be a means of emancipation from domestication and attachment and a means towards greater personal freedom.
Remember,
The more that you practice these techniques,
The faster and easier they will work for you.
Thanks again for allowing me to serve you.
And as always,
Remember,
It's a great day to be alive.
And I'll see you in the next session.
Thanks for listening.
Bye for now.
