Awakening to Life: Choosing Conscious Experience Through Thoughts

In the hustle and bustle of our modern lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of routines, responsibilities, and challenges. Yet, amidst this chaos, lies a profound truth that has the potential to reshape our perception of the world around us: we create our experience through our thoughts. It’s time to make a conscious decision about how we want to experience life, liberating ourselves from the confines of unconscious living.

Imagine this: many of us navigate our working and private lives under a subtle hypnosis, drifting through each day on autopilot. We wake up, go through the motions, and eventually, the day comes to an end. But are we truly present in those moments, or are we simply going through the motions without conscious awareness? This hypnosis, if you will, keeps us from fully engaging with our experiences, rendering us passive observers rather than active participants.

It’s time to awaken from this slumber and take charge of our own experiences. Hypnotherapy serves as a powerful analogy here. Just as a skilled hypnotherapist can guide us into a state of heightened suggestibility, so too can we harness our innate ability to shape our thoughts and, consequently, our reality. The first step is recognising that our thoughts are not mere observers but creators of our experiences.

But how does this work in reality?

Let’s have a look at some real life examples (names have been changed to protect client confidentiality)

Meet Sunita, a marketing executive in her mid-thirties, was caught in a cycle of stress and discontentment. She often found herself fixating on the challenges and setbacks she faced at work, which spilled over into her personal life. After several coaching sessions where we slowly introduced the concept of conscious living, Sunita decided to take charge of her thought patterns. She started a daily journaling practice where she noted down moments of gratitude, achievements, and positive experiences. Over time, she realised that by consciously choosing to focus on the positives, her outlook on life transformed. Sunita’s newfound approach not only improved her wellbeing but also positively influenced her interactions with colleagues and friends, leading to a promotion at work and deeper, more meaningful relationships.

Then there is John’s story. John had always been skeptical about the idea that thoughts could shape reality. A software engineer facing burnout, he was on the brink of quitting his job when his employed suggested he book a coaching session with me. We discussed the idea of conscious living as an antidote to burnout. Intrigued yet skeptical, John decided to experiment with the concept. He began practicing mindfulness meditation and made a conscious effort to reframe his negative self-talk. Instead of dwelling on his failures, he started focusing on his strengths and achievements. This shift in perspective not only rekindled his passion for his work but also led him to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. John’s colleagues noticed the change in his attitude and approach, and he soon found himself leading a new project that brought both professional fulfilment and a renewed sense of purpose.

Reflection

Let’s take a moment to reflect on how we typically go through our days. How often do we catch ourselves dwelling on the negatives, focusing on flaws, or anticipating challenges? This perspective, while often rooted in a survival mechanism, limits our potential for joy and growth. The faults we seek are guaranteed to be found, and this outlook can cast a shadow over even the most luminous moments.

The good news is, there lies an alternative path – one that takes a little more effort but promises a richer and more fulfilling journey through life. Instead of allowing historical programming to dictate our thoughts and reactions, we can consciously choose to reframe our perspective. Yes, it might be challenging, especially when thought patterns seem ingrained, but with practice, this becomes a transformative skill.

Small yet mighty changes

Conscious choice empowers us to see the silver linings, focus on strengths, and find lessons in every situation. It’s a commitment to unlearning the automatic responses that hold us back and instead embracing the autonomy we possess to shape our thoughts. This doesn’t mean denying hardships or bottling up emotions; rather, it’s about acknowledging them while intentionally choosing a response that serves our growth. And the good news is we can do this in incremental stages (or Tiny Tweaks as I like to say). Because every moment we catch ourselves in negative self talk or thinking about future issues that haven’t happened is a moment to remind ourselves of a new way of being and practice a different way.

So, how do you want to go through your day? Do you want to be confined with the weight of negativity, or do you want to stand in the power of conscious creation? It’s a daily practice, a conscious decision to embrace positivity, and a choice to reshape our experience from within.

You can break free from the hypnosis of unconscious living and awaken to the boundless potential of our thoughts. It’s time to rewrite our narratives, reframe our experiences, and reset our perspectives. The power to choose is within all of us.

#ConsciousLiving #ChooseYourThoughts #AwakenYourPotential