Mindful Self-Awareness

Mindful Self-Awareness

What is Mindful Self-Awareness?

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness is an understanding of your self, your actions, and your energy. It is not necessarily who you are; more like what your presence is. Awareness of your self as a ‘being’. Your impact on everything and everyone around you, and the impact of everything and everyone on you. Awareness of your interaction with, and receipt of, energy.

Self-Awareness is the present. An awareness of what is happening in this moment and how this moment impacts the next moment as well as everything that is part of this moment and the next. It is a knowledge and connection of your ‘self’ in this moment.

Self-Awareness is your understanding of where and when you start a ripple. Conversely, it’s also your understanding of the ripples you receive in this moment.

Mindful

Mindful is being present and observing what is happening in the present moment. Giving your intentional attention to something or someone. A desire and commitment to understand and explore further.

Mindful Self-Awareness

Mindful self-awareness, therefore, is your desire and commitment to understand and explore your presence, both physically and mentally, in the here and now. It extends beyond, to observe and understand how what you do here and now ripples to the next moment, and the moment after that.

Mindful self-awareness includes the receiving of ripples in the here and now, and how that affects you physically and emotionally in the current moment and the moment after that.

If you are being self aware, you are also being mindful. They go hand in hand. One can’t really exist without the other.

All self-awareness is mindful self-awareness.

Mindful Self-Awareness

A True Story

My best friend and I have been friends, literally, for decades. She’s my BFFFL (Best Friend For F&%*ing Life).

During a recent conversation, I was going on and on about how I just want to write. Telling her I need to write, but I just have all these things that keep getting in the way. Chores to be done, people to help, errands to run, etcetera.

She said, you know what? You need to go down to the beach. Grab your coffee, head to the beach, sit there with pen and paper. You will find your inspiration.

I thought, wow, yeah, that would be great, and hey, what a perfect idea. Not a minute later, my head went back to the perpetual to-do list.

I didn’t make the time to go to the beach, and while I heard my BFFFL, I didn’t listen to her. I definitely was not mindfully aware of what was happening in the moment.

A Self-Awareness A-HA! Moment

A week later, I still hadn’t written a word. Coincidentally, I found myself on the beach, in the morning, ironically holding a cup of coffee.

What do you think happened? You got it, INSPIRATION! Ka-POW-ee!

My mind was completely overcome with thoughts, words, things that had to be written down, immediately. Giving no care to whatever I had to do, I grabbed pen and paper and I wrote. I wrote for hours that day and was blissfully happy.

I said to myself, now why didn’t I listen to my bestie? Why didn’t I listen to this person that has known me since I was seven, who might have an inkling of what’s good for me?

This person that sees me from a place beyond myself. She is the closest thing that I have to myself, to give me the eyes to see myself from the outside in. She’s telling me this is what I need to do, this is where I need to go, and I was so far from being self-aware in that moment, that I completely missed it.

In that moment of realization, I was very self-aware.

Recognizing Mindful Self-Awareness

How many times have you let a moment like this slip by, completely unaware?

On this grand journey of self-discovery, sometimes we need to listen to the people in our life. We need to hear them and not dismiss the message they are giving. We need to receive the message and give stock to it.

Heck, someone you don’t even know can give you an idea, and you know what? Maybe you should follow that idea. Perhaps new and exciting things will open up in front of you. It’s possible you will get a glimpse of something inside that you didn’t realize was there. Or maybe you did know what was inside, but you needed a gentle nudge to move into that space.

Mindful Self-Awareness is a magnificent tool on your journey of self-discovery.

Mindful Self-Awareness Exercise #1

Over the next few days, set an intention to remain extra vigilant in your interactions with others.
When you wake up in the morning, verbally state out loud:

“Today I will practice mindful self-awareness.
I will be present in each moment of my interactions with others.
I will consciously practice active listening skills.”

Midday, check-in with your intention.

Were you mindfully self-aware in your interactions that morning?

Restate your intention for the day.

“Today I will practice mindful self-awareness.
I will be present in each moment of my interactions with others.
I will consciously practice active listening skills.”

Set aside time that evening to consciously and intentionally review the ways you practiced mindful self-awareness. Consider what you can do differently the following day, and start the next day anew with the same intention and exercise.

As they say, practice makes perfect! Keep your focus until you begin recognizing when you are, and are not, practicing Mindful Self-Awareness in your interactions with others.

Mindful Self-Awareness In Action

I was sitting in the company of an old friend, together with some of her friends, whom I had only met briefly in the past. Somehow, the conversation turned to a project I was working on. In an instant I was painfully aware of the silence of other chatter and the feel of all eyes on me. As I was speaking, I realized I was doing a very poor job of explaining my project. Being very nice and supportive, the group jumped in with advice, direction and feedback. I began to feel overwhelmed and anxious.

In the past, in that moment of anxiety, I would become defensive. Possibly assertive and argumentative. The situation would evoke feelings of inadequacy and I would feel I had to re-explain, somehow needing to prove that I did know these things and that I just didn’t explain it right. I would have lost sight of the opportunity of the moment.

Fortunately, I have worked very hard on exercise #1. I practiced mindful self-awareness that enabled me to consciously acknowledge when the anxiety started to creep in. Rather than becoming assertive, I began asking questions. I allowed myself to become engaged and enlightened by the perspective of these very nice people.

The result? I learned a thing or two that helped me on my project! Instead of leaving the conversation deflated, I left energized and ready to explore something new.

Mindful Self-Awareness Exercise #2:

When you find yourself in a situation of mindful self-awareness, make like a vaccuum and suck it all in. Notice as much as you can about everything.

• Your feelings
• Your physical position and body posture
• Emotions displayed by others
• The physical position and body posture of others
• Where are you?
• What is happening around you? Is there music, traffic, wind, noise, quiet?
• What is the conversation or situation about?
• What is the cause and response of your feelings and actions on you and others?
• Did your words, thoughts and actions align with your authentic self?

As soon as you are able, grab something to write on and make notes. An outline of sorts. Nothing elaborate or extensive. Use key words and prompts that you will relate to later. The goal is to save as much detail as you can, in or as close to the moment, as possible.

Later, when you have quiet time, explore your experience. You can do so by reviewing your notes. If possible, journal a recap of what happened. Use your notes to recreate the moment.

Don’t try to label anything as good or bad. Don’t linger on what you should have or could have done. This is not an exercise to criticize or berate yourself. It is an exercise to explore and observe yourself.

Simply be aware of your presence in the moment of conscious self-awareness.

By learning about your self, and how to practice mindful self-awareness, you will see and be able to acknowledge the ripple effect you have, both internally and externally. You will learn how to be stronger and authentically present.

Spend some time in mindful thought about the experience. If you are journaling, write about your thoughts.

Changing the past would be quite difficult and is not the purpose of this exercise.

Instead, learn from it.

Apply what you have learned in a positive way to your journey of self-discovery.

Move forward in a YOUnique way, that is authentically you.

Raise the Awareness Energy Level

A word about energy….

We know our bodies are energy and that the universe is connected by energy. The sun, earth, trees, animals, planets. The moon, the seas and the ocean.

Usage of energy, both physical and mindful, generates outward energy, which is received. We receive that energy, other people receive it, the earth receives it.

Energy is felt in a room when someone enters. Happy people transmit happiness and others become happy. Negative people transmit negativity. Anger, hatred, love, compassion, support. All are felt by a look, a movement, or simply just by a presence.

• Take a moment and assess your energy at this exact moment.
• What are you transmitting outward? What energy is your presence emitting?
• Are you angry, happy, sad, peaceful?
• What energy do you feel coming inward?
• Is there calmness around you? Chaos? Friction?
• What do you observe in your current state of awareness?

Jot down, or make a mental note, of what you observe.

Energy Exploration

Since the ocean inspired much of this writing, let’s use it as the basis of our exploration.

The ocean’s energy has a variety of effects on us.

When we stand near a calm ocean our heart beat and pulse slow. Perhaps we take a deep, restorative breath. Inhaling in and exhaling slowly out. Possibly a smile and a sigh as we relax and gaze dreamily over the water.

In contrast, our reaction to a stormy, ferocious ocean, is quite different. Instead of slowing our heart beat and pulse, it increases them. The kinetic energy of the tumultuous ocean emits unseen waves of fear or excitement.

A disturbed ocean can produce tidal waves and tsunamis. The tremendous, sensational, and dramatic release of extraordinary force from something hidden and concealed. Literally, volcanic eruptions. Empirical enormity of energy evoking fear, panic, and devastation.

The energy of the ocean ripples around the earth. It impacts people, animals, forests and structures. It reaches upwards, into the air waves, the sky, and is carried by the wind.

Grasping this outward ripple of energy from the ocean; what then is the reciprocal effect of our outward ripple of energy?

Looking back at your assessment of your energy at this moment, what do you think you might be rippling outward, into the world?

Reciprocal Connections

If I can sit and look at the ocean and be impacted by its energy, is the ocean reciprocally affected by me?

Visually we can see the effect of our physical entrance into the ocean. The splash of water, the ripple as it radiates outward from us. It is what happens when we expend our energy.

What do we know of the unseen?

When I dip my toe in the water, what impact does my internal energy have on the ocean? If I’m happy, joyful and playful, will my presence in or beside the ocean cause the ocean to react to the waves of my energy? Could it be that there is also a connection felt by the ocean?

When I am angry and I step into the surf, is there a jolt of energy? Would there be a lightning bolt of a ripple across the ocean?

Furthermore, is the energy we emit and share with the ocean emanating out with the ripple? How far does it travel? A full circle around the globe, perhaps?

Have you ever been in a room and without hearing or seeing anything, you just ‘know’ someone has entered? You ‘feel’ them?

Have you ever experienced, or heard it said, that there was tension in the air?

It’s not really that far-fetched of a concept.

Looking back at your assessment of your energy at this moment, what unseen ripples of energy are you receiving right now?

The Quantum Physics of Mindful Self-Awareness

Quantum Physics scientifically explains how we are energy and energy is us. It’s quite fascinating, actually, and I would love to share how it is a direct correlation to Mindful Self-Awareness.

Alex Myles is the author of an intriguing article about sensitivity to universal energy. I highly recommend a full read of her article here.

A few snippets from her article that eloquently marry mindful self-awareness of ‘us’ or ‘self’ in relation to ‘everything’:

“Quantum physics discovered that our physical ‘reality’ consists of atoms, which are numerous vortexes of spinning and vibrating energy that is similar to a tornado. Whether we perceive this energy as a solid, liquid or gas depends upon the speed of the atom. If we look at the atom under a microscope all we would see is an invisible tornado of vibrating energy. If we focused on the structure of the atom closer, it would become apparent that all that exists is a void. The atom does not have any structure therefore everything that is physical does not have structure to it either. All atoms are made from invisible energy.“

“……According to Quantum Physics, human beings have no actual structure. We are vibrational repeated patterns of spinning vortices of inter active energy…“

“…..because we are used to thinking about ourselves, and everything in the universe as tangible, it can be quite difficult to accept that everything is just energy…..“

A Mind Blowing explanation of universal energy & signs you are highly sensitive to it

Mindful Self-Awareness Exercise #3

Go stand by the ocean.
Dip your toe in the water.

I hope you have enjoyed this article about Mindful Self-Awareness and hope you find it useful on your journey of self-discovery.

The world needs the authentic you.

Peace & Love,
Lorraine