an online book by David Gurteen
Awareness is the state of being conscious or having knowledge of something; it is the ability to perceive and understand the environment and our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It involves paying attention to the present moment, being curious and open-minded, and clearly understanding ourselves and our surroundings.
Awareness is a state of knowing, understanding, or being conscious of something. Its precise definition is disputed and varies across disciplines. Some accounts treat it as a synonym for consciousness, while others characterize it as cognitive access to information that can occur without subjective experience.
Credit: Wikipedia - awarenessWhat is the use of planning to be able to eat next week unless I can really enjoy the meals when they come? If I am so busy planning how to eat next week that I cannot fully enjoy what I am eating now, I will be in the same predicament when next week’s meals become now.” If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories … | Alan Watts Continue reading Being Aware of the Present Alan Watts
In this book, Awareness, by Anthony de Mello, everyday habits of thought and perception are examined with the aim of understanding how they shape one’s life. De Mello, a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist, presents a series of talks that invite observation rather than doctrine or technique. He suggests that much unhappiness stems from unconscious conditioning, Continue reading Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony De Mello (1992)
Whether in conversation we generally agree or disagree with others is largely a matter of habit: the one tendency makes as much sense as the other. | Friedrich Nietzsche Continue reading Generally Agreeing or Disagreeing with Others Is Largely a Matter of Habit Friedrich Nietzsche
Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice and comfortable in bed. It is irritating to be woken up. That’s the reason the wise guru will not attempt to wake people up. I hope I’m going to be wise here and make no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It is really none of my business, even though I say to you at times, “Wake up!” My business is to do my thing, to dance my … | Anthony de Mello Continue reading My Business Is to Do My Thing, to Dance My Dance Anthony de Mello
What you are aware of you are in control of; what you are not aware of is in control of you. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Awareness and Control Anthony de Mello
Most people don’t live aware lives. They live mechanical lives, mechanical thoughts — generally somebody else’s — mechanical emotions, mechanical actions, mechanical reactions. | Anthony de Mello Continue reading Most People Don’t Live Aware Lives Anthony de Mello
Life presents us with situations such as traffic jams, illnesses, or setbacks that simply exist. The human mind turns these conditions into problems by resisting them, layering judgment and expectation upon them. By noticing this shift, we can respond more directly to reality instead of being trapped in the stories we create about it. Continue reading Problems Only Exist in the Mind Anthony de Mello and the nature of awareness
Programmed intelligence is when a machine or software has limited abilities based on its original programming. It cannot learn or adapt on its own. Examples are basic devices like thermostats just following preset rules. They have no flexibility or real understanding. Continue reading Programmed Intelligence Is a thermostat or an electronic calculator intelligent?
Not being self-aware can lead to difficulty in personal growth and development, poor decision-making, and challenges in understanding and managing our emotions and behavior. It is a critical Conversational Leadership skill. Continue reading Conversational Self-awareness Being aware of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during a conversation
We spend much of our lives in conversation, yet we are often surprisingly unaware of what is happening as we talk and listen. We may overlook our own reactions, misunderstand others, or miss the dynamics shaping the conversation. Conversational awareness helps us pay closer attention to ourselves, others and what is happening between us. Continue reading Conversational Awareness Noticing what is happening within and between us in conversation.
We live in an increasingly interconnected world, yet much of our thinking remains focused on ourselves, our communities, and our nations. The challenges we face, from climate change and inequality to conflict and new technologies, increasingly cross national and cultural boundaries. Global consciousness is about developing a broader awareness of our place in the world, recognising our … Continue reading Global Consciousness Thinking beyond ourselves in an interconnected world
