Category Archives: awareness

When you walk around with your head in the clouds

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“When you walk around with your head in the clouds, you might end up stepping in a few puddles.”

—Stephen St. Amant, Author of Savenwood Blog

Image from Unsplash by Matt Palmer

When we let our imaginations soar, keeping our “heads in the clouds” can feel expansive, hopeful, and even magical.

Big dreams and lofty visions often fuel our motivation and push us beyond ordinary limits. Yet, if we drift too far from the present moment, we may overlook the small but important details of daily living — the “puddles” that can dampen our enthusiasm and slow our progress.

Balancing vision with awareness helps us stay grounded without losing momentum.

By lifting our gaze toward what’s possible while keeping one foot firmly planted in reality, we increase our chances of walking a clearer path — one that avoids unnecessary setbacks while still moving us closer to the brighter horizons we seek.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life do you “keep your head in the clouds” – dreaming big, but missing many practical details of life that matter?

What small habits can help keep you grounded as you pursue bigger goals and avoid unnecessary setbacks?

Use your mind to stop the hands of time to simply experience and savor this moment

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Use your mind to stop the hands of time to simply experience and savor this moment.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Alejandro Piñero Amerio

Today’s quote is about the power of mindfulness.

Time relentlessly moves forward, but through conscious awareness, we can pause mentally and fully immerse ourselves in the present.

This practice allows us to appreciate life’s simple joys — whether it’s the warmth of sunlight, a heartfelt conversation, or the taste of your favorite meal.

By intentionally slowing down our thoughts and focusing on NOW, we enrich our experiences and reduce stress.

Embracing this mindset transforms fleeting moments into lasting memories, making life far more meaningful and fulfilling.

EXERCISE:

Take three to five minutes throughout your day to take a breath, engage your mind, and truly savor these pauses in time.

When you dip in and out of awareness

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When you dip in and out of awareness, how can you simply be with what is without wanting to be somewhere else?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Shantung Kulkarni

We often find ourselves oscillating between moments of awareness and distraction.

It is common to feel the urge to escape our situation, yearning for something else.

True peace lies in embracing where we are.

Learning to be present with our thoughts and surroundings, without the desire to be elsewhere, is a profound skill.

By cultivating this mindfulness, we can transform our experiences into opportunities for growth and understanding.

Embracing the present allows us to connect more deeply with ourselves and the world around us, leading to a more authentic and fulfilling life.

EXERCISE:

What strategies do and can you use to be more present in your life? Consider reading Eckhart Tolle’s classic book The Power of Now if you see value in this effort.

Misery is a moment of suffering

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“Misery is a moment of suffering allowed to become everything.”

—Mark Nepo, poet and spiritual adviser

Image from Unsplash by Syed Ali

Mark Nepo is a renowned poet, philosopher, and spiritual teacher.

Earlier in his life he navigated a very challenging cancer journey that transformed his understanding of survival and living authentically.

Diagnosed with a rare form of Lymphoma, his experience with illness led to a deep inner journey and a focus on living fully in the present moment.

This journey inspired him to explore themes of vulnerability, presence, and the essence of life in his work particularly
in this best-selling work, The Book of Awakening, where his healing process encourages readers to find meaning and growth through adversity.

EXERCISE:

In what ways has adversity shaped your life?

How can you separate the moments of misery from the other more positive aspects of living to gain a broader more hopeful perspective as you take on each day?

Notice and embrace the complexity of your humanness

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Notice and embrace the complexity of your humanness. Let everything be as it is. It makes you interesting.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Joseph Malone

How often do you find yourself puzzled by the people in your life? Look over the spectrum of folks from young to old in your communities.

What makes each of them tick? Isn’t it interesting — once we think we know — when they surprise us by going in another direction?

Instead of trying to put these people puzzles together and have things fit into our own world view, perhaps we can simply be happy to have others in our life to keep us on our toes.

EXERCISE:

To what degree do you accept and embrace the complexities of the people around you?

How would doing so with curiosity and openness make the world a far more interesting place for everyone?

Our awareness is like an open sky with clouds passing by

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“Our awareness is like an open sky with clouds passing by. Take your time to let things float by at their own pace and appreciate the view.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Philipp Potocnik

Being productive has always been a high priority for me. I’ve always considered a day with little or no evidence of accomplishment something to avoid at all cost. The more points I put on the board the better.

The idea of laying back and letting the world float by just seemed way too passive. How else was I to scale life’s mountains without breaking a sweat?

With a few more decades under my belt, I can now see more clearly that learning to take in the wondrous views of life are indeed active and productive things to do.

EXERCISE:

How can you more actively examine the open skies of your awareness?

What new sights might you see by taking a much closer look at things coming into view?

Notice nothingness. Discover the peace and power in the presence of absence.

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Notice nothingness. Discover the peace and power in the presence of absence.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Noah Silliman

Have you ever spent time in an isolation chamber? Not me!

I think that would be too much nothing. What about the use of room darkening shades and a set of noise cancellation headphones?

We tend to live in a noisy, lights-on world where the presence of absence is absent.

How and where do you escape the barrage of stimuli that can drain your power and disturb the peace?

EXERCISE:

Where in your world is it possible to turn down the volume and turn off the lights?

Try a few experiments this week and discover the peace and power in their absence.

Try playing with your other senses and see where your mind wanders in this open field of awareness.

Bring patience to your path. See each step as progress and move forward at your own pace.

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Bring patience to your path. See each step as progress and move forward at your own pace.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Tamara Manzi

Many people operate at a fast pace in almost everything they do these days.

How fast do you talk, walk, eat, and drive?

What are some of the benefits of moving in the fast lane?

What are the negative consequences of always being in a hurry?

For many of us, our pace is ingrained and set on auto pilot with only modest awareness.

How might a slower and more patient pace of living offer hidden benefits?

Where would a steady as she goes approach help you arrive more safely and sanely to your desired destinations?

EXERCISE:

Where in your life would a slow is smooth and smooth is fast approach make the biggest difference?

Where can and will you bring greater patience to your path beginning today?

The past and future are in the mind only

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“The past and future are in the mind only — I am now.”

—Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, 20th Century Indian Guru

Image from Unsplash by Shantung Kulkarni

Being fully present in all the “now’s” of life is hard to do. If we work at it and practice mindfulness though meditation and other methods, we can improve our odds of success.

Our awareness of our leaps into the past and the future is the stuff of TV show, movies, and sci-fi books. It seems like time travel is a pretty interesting theme for entertaining ourselves.

The fact that our minds can be found bouncing back and forth moment-to moment throughout the day proves this point.

EXERCISE:

What would be the benefit of going a little out of your mind to be in the “now” of life on a more consistent basis?

Friday Review: Awareness

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Friday Review: Awareness

How aware are you of what’s going on around you, and inside you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“We are sitting under the tree of our thinking minds, wondering why we’re not getting any sunshine!”

 

 

 

“It’s got to happen inside first.”

 

 

 

 

 

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”