Awareness/Mindfulness

To be aware is to recognize, to be mindful is to understand. When it is learned to be aware of life as it unfolds you will be mindful of truly living life…

Often awareness and mindfulness are used as synonyms, but they are very different especially when they are used in describing the space of what is. Awareness is the recognition that something is occurring, you can be aware that you’re feeling a certain way, but it doesn't necessarily equate to being mindful of the feeling itself. To know you are angry is not the same as being with the anger. When you are with the anger you’re mindful of it. Awareness of going to the doctor to get a check up because you are not feeling well can open the door to so many fears, but being mindful that you are not feeling well and making the appointment for a check up quiets the fears, or story you’re making up. Awareness is recognizing what’s occurring. Mindfulness is being with and understanding what’s occurring.

Where most people get stuck is in staying in the awareness of the situation, but not going beyond to the state of mindfulness. Whenever you are mindful instead of just being aware, it changes the entire dynamics of a situation. Mindfulness is the deeper aspect to life. It allows for a connection that awareness doesn't. This is a large part of the problem within our society, people are aware there are certain behaviors that are based in satisfying the self, but they don't go deeper to find out why this is and how to change it. So you stay locked in the self-serving behavior, aware it’s occurring, but not mindful of the behavior. When you become mindful of the behavior, you will see how it affects so many more people than just yourself and you will want to instead act in the appropriate manner of love. It’s very difficult to be mindful and still behave in a self-serving manner. So when it is learned to be mindful of the life you are living, you will be mindful of living the life you are given…