The Hungry Don’t Wait – 7 Ways to Activate Awareness – Part 1

The hungry don’t wait to be served their meals, they go out and get it. Let me just be clear, I am not speaking of literal hunger where you wait to be served at the table at home or at a restaurant. I mean the hunger to strive for excellence within oneself and the world around you. I’m talking about passion, a fire that illuminates your soul – what motivates you, what inspires you? Are you waiting to be served or are you out there seeking your next meal?

In July, I wrote a blog called The Secret of Time Travel. I’ll save you the trouble of reading a highly-manic written piece without much organization. There are two main points to that piece (1) There is no Secret in Life and (2) Perception is Key. While it is true, there’s no actual secret ingredient to success, there is a paradox to that statement. As I see it, perception is important yet it is also the secret ingredient to success. My blog posts, I Want and I Can Have and Stop and Smell the Children, are like open windows guiding you the the secret ingredient that is making the food in the kitchen smell so damn good! Give them a read and post a comment. I’d love to know what you’re thinking.

So let’s eat….but before we chow down, I want to share a little bit about myself – as brief and concise as possible. Is there anything that qualifies me to write on these topics? Perhaps. Who is judging? Like many that I’ve met on the journey of life, I decided to follow breadcrumbs. I have a fire inside that tells me I can experience ‘more’ preciousness in life and yet there’s a tiny passenger that resists it. So, I’m not a guru. No! I am like most of you riding along the timeline of life and doing our best to make it the best. I’m not above anyone and I certainly have many to look up to. But if you’re one to want qualifications, I can give you one and maybe add to the list later. From 2010-2012, I studied with a life coaching group called Live at Choice. It was an intensive two -year program to become a Starfisher – a life-coach within their company. Following bread crumbs often means that the path may wind differently than imagined. And so the path did lead elsewhere. I left the group to begin the process of taking over BTP Insurance Services – a family- owned business that specializes in Commercial Trucking. I am a Commercial Insurance Agent – soon to be business owner – that likes to write spiritual blogs. How’s that for qualification?

Now, back to eating – I sense you are beginning to get hungry! So, let’s talk about that. I’ve found that it’s easy to get into a lull; to let my passions fall into a deep sleep only to later be agitated with such ‘disturbance in the force’ that I’m forced to wake-up…again- yes, it’s a pattern. So, what can I do to stay in wakefulness? I’d like to think out loud with you all, so to speak, and jot down 7 simple ways to activate awareness. Think of these as the crawling stages of awakening. Are you ready?

Listen to your judgments. Oh, don’t pretend you don’t have any. We all do. When you start scrolling on your Facebook news feed and see that gorgeous, toned, long-haired blonde with a glorious ass making some incredibly difficult Yoga pose look easy. (wait, did I just reveal myself , lol) You get the point, right? A judgement is as simple as this – any time you deem something wrong or right, good or bad, pretty or ugly, stupid or smart, perfect or not perfect – it’s a judgment. Better yet, pay attention to the judgments of your closest family members or friends. If you haven’t figured out why you have these judgments, start doing some digging. This is one step to help activate a higher awareness of self.

Stretching. Speaking of Yoga, do any of you spend at least 10 minutes a day stretching? No?! Well, 5-10 minutes is all you need. I didn’t write out a list of all the exercises you can do simply because my list is about starting small (remember crawling not running). Sometimes we try to reach the end before we even start – let’s work together on the small steps to activating awareness. Stretching is important to help the body stay flexible, relieve tension, and receive a more efficient flow of oxygen. Ultimately, we want to achieve relaxation and expansion for effective energy flow. Start here and let me know how you feel.

Mindful Thinking. This is the short version of meditation. As I said, small steps. While 10, 20, 30 minutes of meditation would work wonders, let’s focus on what you can do to start (if like me, you’ve found yourself falling asleep during meditation). What I want you to do is recognize where your mind goes when you are taking a shower, washing dishes, combing your hair. Basically, I want you to notice your thoughts when you are in the midst of any task that doesn’t require much of your focus. Where is your mind, what are your thoughts? Wherever it is, it’s fine; however, when you reach that awareness take a deep breathe and then another and then another. If you aren’t creating fanciful dreams with your thoughts…release what is there. Breathe.

Ahh, that time – it’s calling me to end this a lot sooner than imagined. I did say the path leads astray, didn’t I? I will continue with The Hungry Don’t Wait – 7 Ways to Activate Awareness – Part 2 at a later date. In the meantime, join the feast, share your thoughts, give me a ring; whatever works best for you. What are you doing to settle your hunger?