Who knows when it is in the growing-up process that we become aware of exactly what it is we're aiming at. We've been children and then teens, being cared for, instructed, guided and told what to do. When does that shift occur? The time when we suddenly draw our line in the sand...the line that says 'from here on out, I am aware of my choices and I want to do or be (fill in the blank)'.
Certainly there is no defining time when awareness shows up. It's not calendar-based; sixteen=driver's license, eighteen=vote, twenty-one=legally bar-hop. There isn't a specific age when parents or mentors or teachers can tell an individual, "Get ready...it's almost Awareness Time".
That's the enigma, right there. If you aren't aware, then you can't see that it's time to hone your awareness skills!
So I propose this...awareness instruction should begin early, early, early! Parents...teachers...leaders of any sort...help begin the cultivation of awareness in young people. Ask the questions! Nurture the curiosity! Feed the creativity! Fatten the observation skills! Help children see. Really see!
Of course, then it becomes obvious that we have a 'chicken or the egg' kind of thing happening, right? I mean, if you haven't grown up with awareness, how on Earth are you going to cultivate it in others? The answer is...Start Small. One tiny awareness exercise at a time. Here are two to try;
---Next time you are going to eat something, turn off the tv, put down the magazine, find some solitude. Sit at your table with your food. Take the first bite and...make it last. Think about what this food is doing for your body. What does it feel like in your mouth? Temperature, texture, aroma, flavor, spice, noise; really describe your mouthful to yourself.
---On your next ride to work, look around. You take the same route each and every day, but I bet many of you get to work on autopilot, not even remembering a thing about the journey. Try opening your eyes. The sky in early morning or evening, a hawk over a field, a van packed with construction workers, a woman in the SUV parade applying her make-up while on the phone and slurping Starbucks, the patterns made by the cars streaming by you, new billboards, kids with giant backpacks walking to school; illustrate and color your ride...open your eyes to the itty-bitty occurrences that make up everyday miracles.
As I get older, I become more grateful each day for the awareness I have, and for the drive to grow it. I'm observant, sure, but awareness is more. It's not only seeing, but feeling, intuit-ing, wondering. I wonder at stuff, about stuff. About what people think, feel, what makes them tick. This wondering has rippled through my life in many ways...in love and friendship, in work and creativity, and with everyone I meet. When you approach life with such a desire to truly see everything, to move in an aware way, the things that follow will stun you with their brilliance. What appears will absolutely blow your mind.
Perhaps the ultimate understatement lies in the trite phrase 'Life is Short'. It so is! Time flies by faster and faster. Don't you want to see some stuff along the way? I know I do.
