So why do I not live consciously 24/7?
Living consciously is such a hot topic right now, Eckert Tolle and other thinkers of our time have most definitely raised awareness and understanding of this. But still many of us spend hours after hours doing exactly the opposite. Today I want to explore the pull of unconscious living to gain a firmer grasp of it and to propel me on my challenge of 100 nights of pure indulgence.
Benefits of Unconscious Living
I started the bullets above and then have no answers. If that's true then why are we all riding the conscious wave 24/7? Maybe a better question to ask is...
Excuses That Enable us to Continue to Live Unconsciously
- It takes too much energy, I'm tierd, I'll do it tomorrow
- I deserve this _______ (fill in blank with favorite candy bar, drink...)
- What's the point? It will take forever for me to get out of debt, thin, rich... Life sucks.
- This isn't the right time I have family in town/sick spouse/it's my birthday/a busy week at work
- My house is full of clutter, I can't meditate
Fueling these excuses are messages that we are sending ourselves saying "if I live consciously I have to sacrifice something I love", "there is no light at the end of the tunnel, this is hopeless" as well as frustration, desperation, sadness and perhaps depression about our current situation. We build the argument for unconscious living by creating an attainable to-do list of things that have to be done for us to live consciously; I have to clean the whole house, be 30 lbs lighter, be making more money or perhaps finish a big project at work. With this argument in mind it is then easy for our minds to rule on the side of unconscious living.
So how do we sway the argument so that concious winning win?
We need to understand and keep in mind that living conciously is:
- Energizing
- Easy
- A delicious treat
- A way to make a hugh impact in our lives - one moment at a time
- The road to riches and well being
- Takes either the same amount of time or less than living unconciously
- Is possible anytime
- Enhances our experiences (birthdays, trips with family...)
- Empowers us to take positive actions and get things done
A lot of the unconscious hours we log are done because of habit and routine. At 6:30 PM we slip into an evening routine of dinner in front of the TV or computer , snickers bars, a bottle of wine and before we know it's 11 PM. That's over 4 hours that are gone forever, none of which was particularly memorable.
Our surroundings, our environment, also play a big part in whether or not we are present and conscious in our lives. A cluttered desk stimulates hundreds of negative messages in our brains; "I should have paid that bill", "I'm a slob" or "I have so much work to do". All of these messages send us flying into the past and the future.
Do positive thoughts ground us in the present?
Any pendulum can swing either way. Sitting thinking how wonderful we are could send us into unconsciousness too. So what is a positive thought? Perhaps we should focus more on neutral thinking. Thinking that neither deflates or inflates the ego. A high five with a co-worker of a job well done sparks a connection with someone else, a sharing of our journey, human interaction. Day dreaming about the yacht we are going to buy when our get rich quick scheme takes off or cowering with shame and guilt over the huge piece of chocolate cake we ate last night yield no connection outside of ourselves and send us off into the future or the past.
Criteria for Conscious Living
- Neutral thoughts
- Connection outside of ourselves
- Focus on the present moment (not living in the past or future)
- Understanding that there is no sacrifice involve, seeing and reminding ourselves why living consciously is a treat
Ultimately we have complete control of our thoughts at first it will be a struggle but keep in mind neutral thoughts are just a muscle we need to flex.
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