S1 Ep 2: Self-Awareness Isn't Selfish

Selfish is a matter of intent This is selfishness: You take and take, give nothing back, and don’t give a damn who you hurt in the process. You know your action is going to cause harm - but you don’t care. You know full well that your thoughts, feelings, and resulting actions are going to be bad for others. That is what selfishness is. Selfishness comes from a lack mentality. You take what you believe to be yours and leave nothing for anyone else because you believe that there is not enough, or you don’t care. Self-awareness opens you to broader awareness When you practice mindfulness you are practicing being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and the intent of your actions. That awareness makes you conscious in the here-and-now, taking control from your subconscious, unthinking mind. Being aware of yourself makes you more aware of everyone and everything else, too. Mindfulness empowers you to experience more fully and completely all that life has to offer. That is not selfish, because it allows you to pull others to the light, too. How can that be in any way selfish? This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Meditation is not for everyone. But not everyone needs a concentrated mindfulness practice of mediation when a guided, 2-minute pause will do.  This entails a very simple exercise. You can do it anywhere at any time. 1.      Seat yourself comfortably 2.      Set a time with a chime or non-jarring alarm for 2 minutes and 5 seconds 3.      Start the timer 4.      Close your eyes 5.      Take the deepest breath in that you can. Breathe from the diaphragm 6.      Release the breath fully 7.      Repeat steps 5 and 6 8.      Open your eyes and return to your day Anyone can find 2 minutes for deep breathing at one point or another during the day. This can calm, center, and refocus you so that you can be more mindful and self-aware. Author Website: https://mjblehart.com Email: [email protected] Instagram Twitter Facebook Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations