AWARENESS
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light”
– The Bible
GENESIS 1-3
In the very beginning there is awareness, first light. Before light there is darkness and unknowingness. Everything that happens to you first happens as awareness. That is, you become aware of it. It could be a rumor, a news article or a puzzle you figure out. What happens is you gaining new awareness. If you consider this for a moment, before the first step of the proverbial thousand step journey, you think about it, you plan for it. This is the first step of existence, the first step in the cycle of Living Totality. Okay, how does this play out in the day to day? To set off a new path requires you to become educated in the ways of the path. We all have variations in what our paths are, but in general, many traits are shared and is what makes the field of personal growth & development so universal throughout different cultures and time. What kind of content is best to consume, you may be wondering? The answer, any that works! But to be more specific, books, videos, seminars, clubs, coaches, are all ideal ways of attaining new awareness in the path you are about to take or are already on.
And before you begin, there is an important quote I’d like to share with you. Another one from Rav Berg. He said, “Rather than chase after the light, we must find and identify all the curtains that conceal the light that is always there.” I was so captivated when reading that the first time. It is true. Greatness is all around us, but we are with blinders over our eyes much of the time and fail to see all that is good to us, and to utilize it. We all have the light within us, we all can grow it brighter. You just have to acknowledge what is already there and seize it!
THE KEY CHAIN STORY
Twenty years ago, my brother gifted me with a very nice keychain. It was a Gucci keychain that I carry it so this day and it’ll probably outlive me. This keychain came in a nice box and remained in it for some time after receiving the gift. Why might you ask? Why would I not have used this thoughtful gift, being as practical as a key chain can be? Because I had a fantasy. I was fantazing about owning a BMW and using that keychain to hold the car key. I had it all planned out in my head, that is the reality I wanted to experience, and so I blocked everything else out and kept the keychain packed away, waiting. One day my brother visits me and asks about the keychain. I tell him that I am waiting on this BMW and so on… His response was simple and to the point. He said that I should just enjoy it now. He was so right! But more so, he helped me understand, years later in life, that we have great things within arm’s reach, even right now! But we don’t reach out to them for a host of reasons that end up blocking the light. Twenty years later I still use that great keychain, but never have I owned a BMW. So, can you ask yourself this… What future fantasies are keeping you away from the greatness that is around you?
FINDING THE LIGHT, AND THEN SHARING IT
There is something very important about finding the light. Once you do, it is important to share it. I believe there are many reasons as to why we share the light, but the outcome is singular. In sharing the light, we ourselves become more enlightened and produce good will into the greatness that is our universe, both in what we can and cannot measure nor see. I truly believe that there is evil as there is good, and that the two are opposing forces. We, on an individual level can make a difference not only in ourselves, but also toward the collective. Just imagine the combined power of millions of people in harmony. Nations were built on this kind of cooperation by sharing the light, and it is encapsulated in a beautiful analogy that I am honored to share with you now.
Imagine for a moment that you are standing in a large auditorium. The lights are off, it is nearly pitch black. In this room are other people and objects, but you cannot see much. You hold in your hand a candle, barely illuminating the space around you. You can make out some shapes in the distance but nothing more. This is the metaphor for your life, in all its grandiosity. If you want to move around quickly you will instantly learn that crashing into things is not ideal. But to move slowly around you can, and this is how life begins. By life I mean the life you begin when you take the first step to acknowledging your existence, purpose, and desire for growth.
You move around and meet others, some holding onto small candles like your own and others without a light. You notice that when meeting those with a light, together your candles light up the space around you a little brighter. This brings you the awareness that sharing the light with others will not only help them see their way around, but also brightens the space you share. By doing this your world begins to become more illuminated. Now you can see farther into the room, allowing you to navigate it more quickly and without incident. Those you have shared the light with have gone on to share it with others, further increasing the light. Another realization is that by withholding greatness, that is the light, your growth is limited. Only by sharing the light with others does your world become more visible and accessible. The brightest flashlight in the world is useless if it has nothing to light up. That is why when finding the light, you then share it.
THE TOP 5 REGRETS OF THE DYING
Consider the magnitude of the advice from those who were on their death bed and shared their greatest regrets. This comes from another book that changed my life, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware. She was a caretaker for those who were at the end of life. You must be a special person to be in that transitional space so often. For most of us, death is rarely near us, especially when we are young. But for Bronnie Ware, this was her profession. With time, she had come to hear many stories of revelation and regret shared by her patients. She wrote a blog about these insights and it grew to becoming a popular book. It is a great read in that it gives the truest rendition of what really matters in life, because those at their end had no more ego to protect, no more angles to apply, the party was over and all that mattered was truth.
The reason I share with you these five regrets is because I want you to know what really matters. On your path of personal growth & development, there are a lot of dark roads, misleading people, and general unknowingness. You are saturated with expectations and messages that serve the interests of others and not your own. This propaganda, because that is what it is, is so good that you believe the things you are doing are good when in fact they are not. Praising false idols and buying into lifestyles that somehow always leave you needing more is by design. I promise you this, most of the things, and people, in your life today, will mean little in five years and nothing in the end. That is why knowing what truly matters can offer you the awareness necessary to take new action, today. And when that day arrives, and it will for every one of us, you will have been able to say that you have no regrets, that you have lived well, are in good spiritual fitness, and ready to pass on. Here are the 5 top regrets of the dying.
1. I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish I had let myself be happier.
Are you living a life not genuine to you? I had, the first forty years of my life. It is an unproductive path and robs not only you, but everyone around you of your true potential and happy self. It is an alltoo-common tale of the human condition, baked into our culture. But you already know this, so will you honor the advice of the dying? Will you work too hard? Some people must, and others love to. Hard work, by way of putting in many hours, comes at a cost. Relationships are neglected as is one’s health. Success carries a cost too, a sacrifice, especially the kind of success many chase after. To be rich and die alone seems an unpleasant demise. Would you not prefer instead family and friends by your side? Are you the type of person to not express your feelings, keeping them bottled up instead? You know that this too is a bad practice and should be undone immediately. Why wait a single moment longer? Today may be your last. Heed the advice of the dying.
The regret that standouts for me is the one about spending more time with friends. After reading this book, I called a couple of my friends to catch up, one who lived in Colorado and the other in Texas. Within a short period of time, I had spent a week at each of their homes, with their families, and it was a beautiful experience for all involved. It also cemented our friendship further into the future as lifelong friends. Now, I’d like for you to answer the questions below.
Do you have a good friend who does not live close by?
_________________________
When was the last time you saw this person?
_______________________
Will you make arrangements this week to see them? YES / NO
BIOHACKING
There are variations in the definition of biohacking, but the one I...