When we are aware, we are alive.

I've had the same screen saver on my desktop for almost a year.  It's a picture of the boys who lived at the orphanage in Nepal with Goma, the house mom.  They are lined up in the backyard, which was really a concrete lot with some dirt and patches of grass. I look at this picture every time I open my computer, yet I can't remember the last time I actually saw it. It happened tonight, without even meaning too.  I stopped for an extra second and took time to see t it.  I allowed myself to go back to those moments when I was there.  I felt the warm, moist air, heard the laughter, smelled the scent of burning garbage mixed with incense.  I looked at each of the faces in the picture; the uniqueness of each boy captured in the photograph. I realized that the boys probably look so much different now.  A year does a lot to you at 8 years old. A year. Can it be? These precious moments could have been easily missed had I not taken just one extra second to look.  This makes me wonder, if I applied this level of awareness to each of my interactions with the world around me, how different would my experience be? 

Driving up the coast of Southern Oregon recently I enjoyed delicious moments of clarity, as I shared deep gratitude for the beauty of Nature.  I was alone in the car and didn't have a camera on me.  I had no way of capturing the breathtaking views or someone else to share in the experience. I found myself completely present with each bend in the road, the rolling waves, the vast, turquoise Pacific.  There is no way to describe the feeling of being next to a tree that is 2000 years old. My words will not do justice the dramatic coastline dotted with sea stacks that mark a time long before the planet was in a state of such imbalance. There were times when it felt like I was the only human for miles and miles.  This evoked a feeling of safety and freedom, and at the same time was a bit overwhelming. I had lots of breakthroughs on this drive, my mind free to wander wherever it pleased and my soul feeling nourished and expansive.  Presently aware of the environment around me, not distracted by the task of attempting to capture it and hold on to it for later, I actually saw it. I felt it. I was there for it.  The wisdom of the trees, the power of the ocean, the perfection of nature; this system that exists in perfect harmony with every being that is a part of it.  This awareness that I chose to cultivate, allowed me to have a deeper, more intimate experience with what was unfolding around me.  Free of expectation, letting go of the worries that attempted to be a part of it, I saw the Divine in everything.  I was reminded of how blessed we are to be part of such a perfectly intricate system. This reminder washed away my petty concerns and replaced them with a sense of hope.  Hope for humanity. Hope for a time when we come together as one.  Hope for our children and future generations. Hope.

Awareness is a tool that will open your heart and awaken your mind.  Awareness is cultivated by being present in the Now. Finding a moment of stillness. Taking a conscious breath. Awareness will help us to not just look at what's around us, but to see it; not just hear what is going on around us, but to listen to it; not just be a part of what is unfolding around us, but to participate in it. We each have a very important role here, and if anyone has tried to convince you otherwise, it's time to shift that belief.  We each have an incredibly important job here on this planet.  As one of the most highly evolved species, we have done a piss-poor job taking care of our Earth. Taking care of ourselves for that matter.  We place this responsibility on others. Other systems, other people, other. Yet, the responsibility is our own.  To care for our bodies, our minds, our spirits and our planet.  By bringing awareness into your every moment, you will begin to find yourself caring at a level deeper and more rewarding than before.  Awareness is a huge part of rising consciousness, and at this point, with the planet in the state that it is in, we all need to be raising our consciousness.

Breathe. Awareness is a tool that is at your beckon call.  Use it wisely, use it often.