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We hear people frequently say, “I want to achieve a higher level of consciousness,” these days. This is simply a reflection of the paradigm shift that began in the early 20th Century. All around us is a general broadening of perspective from an “either/or” world to an “and” world. As the pervasive “them” and “us” attitude shifts to a “we” perspective, the urge to annihilate “them” will dissipate – obviously. Unfortunately, this process takes time to evolve; to become the majority view.
How can we join those at the forefront of this new Aeon? How can we become one of its leaders? How can we become someone who views global events with objectivity? How can we stop complaining about the state of the world, and begin to be a part of the solutions that will trumpet in this new Aeon?
Well, we won’t get very far without an ability to focus; to zero in on our own personal vision. Grandiose ideas can be inspirational, it’s true. But, without discipline – that dreaded word – the inspiration we initially receive from them dies hard. Our disappointment with the reality that, “Nothing every really changes,” produces skepticism and lethargy. How do we break this cycle? We start with ourselves and stop worrying about what “they” are thinking and doing.
Just as we begin to watch what we eat and exercise regularly in order to loose weight and improve our health, we must watch what we think and practice awareness in order to elevate our consciousness. There is no sudden zap that catapults us into higher consciousness. It’s a series of consistent practices that gradually leads us to an expanded awareness. No leaps here, but baby steps that will build the foundation muscles, so they can confidently support a gallop.
How do we begin?
An excellent first step is the Practice. This is a tool that helps us to stay conscious in the present moment. If our thoughts are either in the past, or in the future, how can we be fully conscious in the present? We can begin by simply changing our watch from one wrist to the other every hour on the hour. At the times when we actually do this, we are totally present in the Now; in the physical action involved.
There are three basic types of Practices: There’s the Action, the Word, and the Thought Practice. They should be tried one at a time for at least seven consecutive days. It’s recommended that we begin with an Action Practice, for they tend to be the easiest. Not crossing our legs for a week, eating and drinking with the opposite hand we customarily use, or taking a shower with our eyes closed are examples of simple Action Practices.
Next, the Word Practice is suggested. Try to avoid saying the words “okay,” “you know,” or “whatever” – words we tend to overuse, or noticing the number of times we say “I,” or substituting the word “won’t” for “can’t.” These are all examples of elementary Word Practices.
Finally, experiment with the Thought Practice, which is the most difficult. Most of us have thousands of stray thoughts every hour that we don’t even notice. Noticing an opinion we have about another person, thinking about a particular affirmation every time we see the color red, or counting the license plates with the letter “K” on them are all fundamental Thought Practices.
The easiest way to track a Practice is to make a mark on your wrist each time you have noticed, or done, or not done whatever your current Practice is. Keep a log and you’ll notice that patterns emerge. Perhaps our level of awareness is highest early in the day, maybe our awareness takes a nosedive when we are with other people, or maybe we completely forgot the Practice over the weekend. There are absolutely no failures here, only new information. We are scientific observers. We are not attached to the outcome.
Without realizing it, we are raising our level of consciousness each time we fulfill the Practice accurately, or each time we say, “Oops, I forgot.”
Working with Practices every day also happens to be fun. You’ll find yourself sitting at a traffic light in rush hour actually looking at and seeing what’s around you – six yellow vehicles in a row, a flock of birds flying in a figure eight formation, people laughing at the bus stop – instead of staring off into space thinking about what you’ll be doing a half hour from now. Wow, we are conscious at that moment. Life is everywhere; information is everywhere, and we are starting to notice.
Our baby steps gradually lead us to a new level of consciousness. This is only the beginning. The journey continues to develop; to grow more exciting; to become more exhilarating. One thing is for certain; we’ll never be bored again. We can put ourselves on any number of Practices that will keep us sharp and present. Our focus increases while our objectivity expands. We are paying attention. We are becoming a more conscious human being.
– Azoth
New Aeon, Inc.
We guide people through…Progressive Adventures in Spirit ©
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