BEWARE of being unaware of your surroundings, especially when you are walking in nature. Remember to take in the magnificent beauty of every magical element before you. Make note of the smells, sounds and sights behind you and alongside you. Always bring your gaze upward, way beyond the treetops toward the sky, for it is in this very opening where we receive healing rays of light for inspiration, illuminating the path ahead us and casting our shadow (an imprint of our physical being) on this good earth.
"While consciousness is being aware of one's environment, body and lifestyle, self-awareness is the recognition of that awareness. Self-awareness is how an individual consciously knows and understands their own character, feelings, motives and desires."
At certain times in life, it is not uncommon to feel disconnected from our dreams and from others, generally uninspired or pressured to be someone else or do something different. When we are constantly comparing our lives to others or influenced by social media, we become more detached from ourselves; from feeling (and knowing) our own unique pulse and purpose. It is the awareness of our unique beat that allows us to find a rhythm that satisfies our soul. This shift in awareness is where magic often happens. When we follow our intuition more and work on liking ourselves more than we like a social media post, personal growth happens. Do not fear this process but rather trust in it, be patient and then wait for it.
BEING SELF-AWARE will take us beyond being still. Heightening our senses to our behavior, mood and emotions enables us to align more with our true nature. This is often accomplished by being one with nature. By learning the root cause (the "why") we are feeling a sense of detachment, lack of inspiration or external pressures to be something other than ourselves, we actually get closer to knowing what we need to tweak or change about ourselves to feel more connected to our own person. This practice will allow us to evolve into the person we most admire and desire to be.
AWARENESS WORK
Commit to a digital cleanse: log off social media for a few hours a day (or a week if you feel so inspired!). Pick up that book at your bedside instead of the iPhone and gauge if the quality of your sleep changes when you do.
Choose to be more IN the many precious moments with your friends, children, spouse and co-workers rather than having your head IN your iPhone.
Clarify the boundaries with whom you surround yourself with; choose those who energize you.
Just curious ... when was the last time you had fun with your shadow? What imprint would you like to leave on this good earth? Don't forget to look up toward the sky on your next walk and simply listen to the message from the universe, it's there ... we just need to Be-Aware.