Black mirror, love, death + robots, west world — we’ve seen it all on Netflix before. The dystopian future of how we eventually become so caught up in chasing wealth and the material things we think we need, that we switch off our ability to be conscious, to be in the present moment, to feel and embrace Being.
Are we as human beings meant to just exist, reproduce, survive, and develop society? Why do we still set deadlines to have our own children, when we see that the world seems to be getting worse? War, global warming, diseases that won’t spare children, mass shootings, rising societal and financial pressure… and yet, we still live lives like these didn’t exist? As if everything is ok? Are we even conscious about what we are bringing into this world, and have we even considered if we could provide and care for them before we make such decisions?
I don’t have the answer to these questions, and unfortunately, I might still eventually succumb to these ideas of what a human being should be — that I should have a great job, be productive, accumulate wealth only to spend more, give birth to my own children and continue this vicious cycle of chasing after things that don’t really matter.
This is why I chose to practise consciousness. I am nowhere near being great at it. But learning about it alone has made all the changes in my life thus far — making me go out of my comfort zone doing things I never thought I’d do, being able to deal with negative voices in my head better, and accept life as it is — without having the pressure to prove myself to anyone, not even to myself.
So, what is consciousness?
To me, consciousness is being able to separate your Being with your mind and body — realising that the voices in your head, your thoughts, do not define who you are. You are able to take a step back to become an observer of all these as they unfold. When you are able to do so, or at least start being aware of doing so, you will eventually be able to control your thoughts and actions better — how you react to unpleasant situations that you have no control over. You will start appreciating life and everything around you even more so, with a detachment from ‘emotions’.
Remember that emotions and desires drive people to do the craziest things.
To put it simply, being conscious simply means STOP – stop whatever you are doing and thinking or worrying about, and observe everything around you and inside of you. How your bones feel within your flesh, your breathing, how the wind feels on your skin… and realise how amazing it is to be alive and breathing.
Calmness of one’s mind allows one to do extraordinary things. And that’s just a byproduct of being conscious. I urge everyone, especially those who are going through a difficult time, to look up more on consciousness, and maybe pick up the book – The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle (recommended to me by a friend).
Peace out.
Coke of All Trades 