Awareness & Accepting What Is
I know we live in a world of polarities – light/dark, good/bad. I consciously cultivate the light and goodness within myself. I do not at the same time, however, want to cultivate unawareness or disregard for the other aspects of the world and those around me. It is important to be mindful of this other side of our nature. If not, we risk being influenced to do or say things that are not in alignment with whom we want to be.
Okay, so how to cultivate this awareness? I believe we have an internal system that tells us when things are not what they seem to be. We may not know what the “it” is that triggers this in-the-moment awareness. We can call it our gut or ‘Spidey’ sense. The important thing is to listen to the alert. The alert can come through words spoken by others or intonation of voice. It comes through body language or facial expression. The more we listen and pay attention, the greater our awareness will become.
Lately, my alert system has been getting a real tune-up from my experiences of suspicious emails “phishing” for information or a purchase! The alert clue is usually my thought that the offer is too good to be true. We all want to believe in a free lunch but really…. If I do not know the person or company and the offer seems just a bit too attractive I need to listen to my sense that something might not be right. So I ask myself, what is in it for them that makes this a win-win. If I can’t come up with a good answer I let it pass. I know, I know, sounds not trusting.
So, am I being cynical and untrusting, or am I just allowing myself to be aware of what is true? I believe I am simply accepting both the light and dark of the world. I am not judging it; just being aware and accepting of the possibility that another person or company might well have an agenda that is not in my best interests. This seems to me to be balanced and gives me peace with passing up the offer or saying no. Isn’t that what it is ultimately all about? Being at peace.
Something to contemplate!
