The concept of self-awareness is often talked about as if you’re already aware of what awareness is. While the actual definition of the term may be easy to understand intellectually, you have to live it to make it work.
Self-awareness is more than just being self-conscious. These are not interchangeable terms. Self-awareness is being aware of your own presence, inside and out. Self-consciousness tends to lend itself toward self-judgment and assessment, all too often based on someone else’s perceptions. Self-consciousness doesn’t necessarily have to be negative, but it does not often lead to self-acceptance.
Self-awareness leads to acceptance as well as a deeper understanding of yourself. While self-consciousness is analyzing, self-awareness is witnessing. Higher self-awareness is possible once you cultivate an attitude of love, acceptance, and appreciation for yourself. This is not easy to do, but well worth the effort.
Follow this simple set of directions to help guide you on your path to self-awareness. In the end, your inner terrain is unique and personal, but if you know the signs, it’s easier to navigate the path and know where to turn.
DESTINATION: Higher Self-Awareness
STARTING POINT: Unconscious Living
TOTAL DISTANCE: 0 miles
TRAVELING TIME: Variable
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Start off where you are right now.
Make the genuine decision to discover your highest self and move forward.
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Turn left @ meditation and silent witnessing.
Listen to your thoughts without judgment. Feel your inner sensations without analyzing. Do not search for yourself; just be with yourself and observe.
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Take another left @ discernment.
Understand that all is you and all is within you, as you are within it. Using the power of attention, begin to see yourself in the world and in your relationships. Take note of similarities, inner thoughts that show up on the outside, like-minded people, even opposing personalities that you might understand, and synchronistic events. Discernment is useful when it’s used to connect rather than separate. Learn to see yourself in the world around you. Know that on a subtle level, this is you. If you start by looking at the positive aspects of self in the world, the negatives will logically fit as well.
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Turn right @ loving yourself.
As you begin to look at the expansion of your own consciousness and thoughts, allow yourself to fall in love. Seeing yourself in others makes them more lovable. Seeing yourself in situations makes them less scary. Knowing your own thoughts helps to build awareness of their products. Taking responsibility for those thoughts you choose will allow for greater gentleness and peace when faced with the experiences they manifest. You choose your life—do so out of love. This starts with loving yourself, and through loving your individual self, you can come to know and love your universal self.
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Turn right again @ appreciation.
Appreciate the miracles, no matter how subtle, that occur every day. Realize that life itself is the greatest miracle, and you are responsible for yours. Appreciate the synchronistic events in your life. Appreciate the commonality and familiarity you share with others. Appreciate the things that make life beautiful, the things that make you come alive. Appreciate your own ability to look inward and discover these truths. Appreciate your desire to even seek. Appreciate this universe that surrounds you in support and love, no matter how it may appear. Appreciate it, because it is you. This is a subtle truth, but one you will certainly discover as you travel toward your destination.
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Take a left @ limitlessness.
Know yourself to be absolute consciousness having a bodily experience, not a mechanical body with a consciousness. Begin to see yourself as a being that exists outside of your body and daily observable life. As you cultivate this concept, you will notice when you show up outside yourself. It will not seem so strange to have a thought and see it happen. It will become more common to see your consciousness as part of everything. Once this begins to happen for you, it becomes malleable, life becomes your life, and this universe becomes your universe.
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You have arrived. You are home.
You are aware of your higher self and its presence within your life experience. You are beyond limitation and unbelievably dynamic. The core of your being is the ultimate reality. You are the ground of the universe, the source of all that exists. Welcome home.
Find your purpose, tune into the voice of your soul, and develop practices for total well-being with our self-paced online course, Living in Awareness. Learn More
Self-awareness is more than just being self-conscious. These are not interchangeable terms. Self-awareness is being aware of your own presence, inside and out. Self-consciousness tends to lend itself toward self-judgment and assessment, all too often based on someone else’s perceptions. Self-consciousness doesn’t necessarily have to be negative, but it does not often lead to self-acceptance.
Self-awareness leads to acceptance as well as a deeper understanding of yourself. While self-consciousness is analyzing, self-awareness is witnessing. Higher self-awareness is possible once you cultivate an attitude of love, acceptance, and appreciation for yourself. This is not easy to do, but well worth the effort.
Follow this simple set of directions to help guide you on your path to self-awareness. In the end, your inner terrain is unique and personal, but if you know the signs, it’s easier to navigate the path and know where to turn.
DESTINATION: Higher Self-Awareness
STARTING POINT: Unconscious Living
TOTAL DISTANCE: 0 miles
TRAVELING TIME: Variable
Start off where you are right now.
Make the genuine decision to discover your highest self and move forward.
Turn left @ meditation and silent witnessing.
Listen to your thoughts without judgment. Feel your inner sensations without analyzing. Do not search for yourself; just be with yourself and observe.
Take another left @ discernment.
Understand that all is you and all is within you, as you are within it. Using the power of attention, begin to see yourself in the world and in your relationships. Take note of similarities, inner thoughts that show up on the outside, like-minded people, even opposing personalities that you might understand, and synchronistic events. Discernment is useful when it’s used to connect rather than separate. Learn to see yourself in the world around you. Know that on a subtle level, this is you. If you start by looking at the positive aspects of self in the world, the negatives will logically fit as well.
Turn right @ loving yourself.
As you begin to look at the expansion of your own consciousness and thoughts, allow yourself to fall in love. Seeing yourself in others makes them more lovable. Seeing yourself in situations makes them less scary. Knowing your own thoughts helps to build awareness of their products. Taking responsibility for those thoughts you choose will allow for greater gentleness and peace when faced with the experiences they manifest. You choose your life—do so out of love. This starts with loving yourself, and through loving your individual self, you can come to know and love your universal self.
Turn right again @ appreciation.
Appreciate the miracles, no matter how subtle, that occur every day. Realize that life itself is the greatest miracle, and you are responsible for yours. Appreciate the synchronistic events in your life. Appreciate the commonality and familiarity you share with others. Appreciate the things that make life beautiful, the things that make you come alive. Appreciate your own ability to look inward and discover these truths. Appreciate your desire to even seek. Appreciate this universe that surrounds you in support and love, no matter how it may appear. Appreciate it, because it is you. This is a subtle truth, but one you will certainly discover as you travel toward your destination.
Take a left @ limitlessness.
Know yourself to be absolute consciousness having a bodily experience, not a mechanical body with a consciousness. Begin to see yourself as a being that exists outside of your body and daily observable life. As you cultivate this concept, you will notice when you show up outside yourself. It will not seem so strange to have a thought and see it happen. It will become more common to see your consciousness as part of everything. Once this begins to happen for you, it becomes malleable, life becomes your life, and this universe becomes your universe.
You have arrived. You are home.
You are aware of your higher self and its presence within your life experience. You are beyond limitation and unbelievably dynamic. The core of your being is the ultimate reality. You are the ground of the universe, the source of all that exists. Welcome home.
Find your purpose, tune into the voice of your soul, and develop practices for total well-being with our self-paced online course, Living in Awareness. Learn More
