Conscious Living

If we do what we've always done, we'll get what we've always gotten. ~ Napoleon Hill

Do the words "conscious living" mean anything to you? Does this connote a sort of "new agey" metaphysical association? Or do you understand this term to mean living with more awareness?

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, "conscious" is defined as such: (adj.)

• Having an awareness of one's environment and one's own existence, sensations, and thoughts
• Mentally perceptive or alert; awake
• Capable of thought, will, or perception (the development of conscious life on the planet)
• Subjectively known or felt
• Intentionally conceived or done; deliberate (a conscious insult or made a conscious effort to speak more clearly)
• Inwardly attentive or sensible; mindful

Our world is changing. Over the years, as we become more of who we are and (hopefully) grow wise, ideas and concepts come to our attention. We come to see that things may not always be what they seem and appreciate that there just may be a "different side of the story." We learn that there may be many ways to approach a situation and our way may not be the best.

We become more of who we choose to be. Our thoughts or view points may have changed over the years. With experience comes adjustment in the way we live life, our belief system and how we regard that which surrounds us (be it friends, family, time, work, or the world at large).

Some of us are lucky to have been born with "enlightened" parents - full of ageless wisdom. Parents who honor us as human beings (as opposed to treating us like children for the rest of their lives), and stay objective enough to offer us a perspective that we were unable to see in times of challenge.

Most of us, however, grow up in families who make choices based on whatever was convenient at the time: choices of economics, convenience, and blind "just because-ness." As adults that come from "normal" American households, we end up mimicking the choices of our upbringing without consideration as to why.

YOUR COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS?

Please share with us your experience of conscious living (Be it a journey of awakening, or lack there of). Based on the definition of conscious as described above, please share with us some examples of choices that have been conscious choices...i.e.Taking Your children to a different school district so they can be in a more competitive environment, choosing to walk as opposed to drive, choosing to not eat certain food because it's 'bad for you'), or choosing to live in warm climate states versus a four season state, etc.

To really know that you have become conscious of (or mastered) a concept, one needs to be able to articulate the language that lingers in our head. We hope this exercise will help you realize your journey and help us gain a new perspective... Thanks for your contribution. C&E