On Awareness

Awareness isn’t enlightenment, and it isn’t being perfect. It’s simply the ability to track the processes running inside us: what we feel, what’s driving us, which role we’re speaking or acting from, and why.

For example, I can behave like a thug — but if, in that very moment, I’m aware of it and I understand which emotions led me there, that’s awareness. And I don’t have to be ashamed of it. Yes, this is how it went this time, and I accept myself as I am. Tomorrow I’ll try to be a little more civilized. Nobody’s perfect.

But awareness isn’t as simple as it sounds. When we make decisions, it matters to see which of the options are dictated by, say, ego, pride, anger, resentment, fear, trauma, or our insecurities. The skill of tracking this systematically is already a serious level. And from there, we start noticing the same processes in other people — because we’ve learned to see them in ourselves.

Here’s to recognizing the true sources of our decisions and actions! 😎