Conscious Living

What is Conscious Living?

Conscious living means that we learn to:

• Live from a clear heart and compassionate mind
• Embrace the moment we are in
• Spend less energy being lost in the past
• Be more at peace with future unknowns

To do this, we become more honoring of our unique experiences, release judgement. and learn to forgive both self and others. When we live our lives in a higher state of consciousness, it becomes more natural to:

• Embody authenticity, simplicity, compassion, truth, courage, creativity, and empowerment
• Experience our multidimensional nature
• Care for the well-being of the Earth, our human family and ourselves
• Embrace the learning that life affords us

Eventually, we come to know that we are more than this body and personality; we are a soul on a journey of growth and service. This life is only a part of our greater cosmic journey.

How Consciousness Shows Up

I'm not suggesting that conscious living is easy, but it is worthwhile. As clients and students become more conscious, they say things like:

• “I just didn't see that problem behavior/belief system before, but it was right in front of my eyes”
• “This pattern was taking over my life. Now I see how it was trying to protect me. I can replace it with a healthier pattern/behavior/belief.”
  
• “I didn't realize that I was taking care of everyone but myself. No wonder I felt so bedraggled. I am committing to self-care.”
  
• “I am learning to love and forgive myself. I am learning to hear my guidance.”
  

The Place to Start

Conscious living unfolds for us in many ways. However, we always start with self: I am the place I start. The theme is waking up. The part of the mind that sees the problem is not the part that can solve it. We have to go bigger. Then we can see a new solution or that there really isn't anything to solve after all. And we release the burden.

Facing our subconscious or shadow side is essential to getting conscious. We can't pretend we are perfect or that all is well when it's not. The more expansive our consciousness the more fears have been faced and wounds integrated the more we trust our basic goodness and the Divine. The shadow, or fearful avoided parts, become allies on the journey of wholeness.

By realizing that life's challenges are full of conscious living opportunities, we start to turn our ship around choosing, intending, seeing, and being alive within our present experience.
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And the more clear and conscious we are in our lives, the more calm we bring to our deaths allowing for a gracious crossing over.

More Thoughts On Conscious Living?

The following thoughts on Conscious Living are from my book Going Out in Style: A Guide to Planetary Departure:

Conscious Living. Becoming more conscious is the opposite of living our lives unaware of who we really are. Getting conscious has to do with being alive to what is actually going on inside us. And around us. Not only what we wish were true or what we want to portray to others, but what we are really feeling/believing and why; then deciding if that works for us. Conscious living is about being more and more authentic, more soul-driven, and less persona- and glamour-driven.

It's the practice of becoming our true, essential selves. For example, are you aware when you become insecure or judgmental? When you revert to addictive behaviors? Are you learning to listen to yourself and firmly and gently defuse the patterns with compassion? Or do you find yourself doing what most people do when they are unconscious blame someone else or run and hide emotionally?

Conscious living is an exceptionally good way to wake up and grow up. With this way of being, we take responsibility for our choices, however uninformed we may have been at the time we made them. In like manner, we let others take responsibility for their choices.
It can be quite empowering to realize that we always have a choice. In any given situation, we can choose to be a victim or learner, a reactor or responder, critical or compassionate, angry or grateful, robotic or authentic. The more we choose the learner-responder-compassionate-grateful-authentic way, the more conscious we become.

All this is bigger living. We look up and out, around and within.

We don't just look down at our feet as we walk through life. We don't want to miss it. We see ourselves more and more fearlessly and clearly. We see our fears and flaws. We see our amazing spirit and gifts. We see our strengths and name them. It's as if we've taken off foggy glasses and can better see what is.

Conscious living also allows us to be more attuned to our bodies. Listening to our bodies deepens and grounds us. It is often said that the body doesn't lie, so listening to the truth of the body keeps us honest. If someone asks how you are and you say, Oh-h-h, I'm just fine, but meanwhile your heart is pounding, your blood pressure is rising and your back is killing you, we could safely say that your body is the truth-teller, not your social self. It may or may not be appropriate to share with that person how you are actually feeling.

The important thing is that deep inside you are seeking to be aware of what is going on.

Conscious living requires taking tender care of our amazingly wise bodies. It invites us to bring our spirits into our bodies and become more soul-filled and body-wise.
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Conscious living helps us step out of rote behaviors and open to our spiritual nature, by whatever name we want to call it. I'm not referring to religion. I'm talking about that part of us that is unlimited, creative and wise. If you are reading this book, you are opening to this part and stepping into more conscious living. You are probably able to say this part of you feels ongoing even eternal.