Conscious: Awareness of one’s surroundings and sensations; awareness of oneself.
Unconscious: A state of consciousness that does not involve awareness, cognition or awareness; occurs below conscious thought. The unconscious refers to the portion of the brain that contains psychic material. This part has a significant effect on our behavior and is often only accessible with limited awareness.
Living in true awareness, where we are fully aware of what we do, will allow us to be free from self-destructive, reactive behavior. This is how we achieve our potential and help ourselves become our best selves. Although we believe we are conscious of our actions, our subconscious mind can have a significant impact on our behaviour. Therefore, our actions do not really fall under our control. It is possible to learn how to identify the unconscious. This part of our minds has great control over many of our actions, even though we are not aware. In doing so, we can diminish its power over us.
For example, notice the voice in your head when you’re about to make an important decision. Do you think it is telling you you are crazy to even consider doing what you want? Is it telling you that you have failed before? It is simple to identify this chatter because the voice or chorus activates all day. It’s as easy as walking in a room full of strangers to activate it! You don’t get along with them, you don’t belong in this room, yada,yada. It is not clear to us that this voice wants to harm our lives.
It isn’t you. This is your subconscious fear. This inner saboteur can be easily identified by simply noticing. By simply noticing, you can empower yourself to take conscious actions that result in lasting positive changes in your daily life.
We can identify the voice as mind chatter. But what about the unconscious stuff? Commonly, we react to our circumstances quickly instead of trying to understand and take the time to think it through. Your friend might ask you, “Do you feel sick?” because you look hot. You may immediately snap at your friend. “What do you mean I don’t look good?”You are sensitive to all criticisms and your emotions hurt. Low self-esteem can be a result of a negative parent. It is important to remember that your friend only meant what they stated: Are you okay? There was nothing more. The rest was added. In your response, you were completely unaware. Your past allowed you to repeat it.
Living on a conscious basis means that we can be as aware of what’s happening as deer in woods hearing something. Our actions, decisions and communications do not get influenced by all the filters that we use to our lives. We do not look at reality through rose-colored or black glasses.
We acknowledge that the voice inside our heads isn’t authentic and so we ignore it. It is a blessing to have you share your thoughts and we can move on. It becomes clear that reacting from an unconscious place and not from one of consciousness or awareness can make a world of difference in how we experience life. Recognizing reality as it is allows us to accept it for what it truly is instead of interpreting it for what we believe it should be. Conscious decisions are better than unconscious.
Life coaching places a strong emphasis on conscious living. Learning to identify when you slip into unconsciousness and how to stop it from happening, allows us to become more aware of the real world. You can stop repeating the same mistakes over and over. Through our increased awareness, we learn. Our increased awareness allows us to view things from a more objective and clear perspective.
You can practice conscious living in many ways. The first step is to pay attention to your mind’s chatter. Simply notice. Second, if you feel that your actions aren’t in control, you can walk away. Recognize your danger zone. Step back when you start to feel the emotion rush. Now count twenty. You shouldn’t succumb to this rush. Remain cool. Go for a walk. You should look into activities that calm your mind and promote tranquility. Meditation, yoga and chanting are all options. Some people find 18 holes of golf a spiritual experience. You can do whatever works best for you.
You must always be aware of your decisions and actions to make sure they don’t lead you astray. Do you see reality the way it really is? Or are there filters that prevent you from seeing it as it actually exists? Avoid egocentricity that can cloud the issues and reinforce poor behavior and bad decision-making. Like the deer of the woods, be alert, focussed, present, and fully aware.