Held Concepts

There is so much that surrounds us on a day-to-day basis that we are not aware of, nor are we aware of how these people, places and things found their way into our lives. As we build on the foundation created in the first exercise, we focus our attention on the next level of awareness: the concepts we hold. It is not enough to gain a deeper understanding of how we operate within the world. We must also begin to take stock of our currently reality before we can change it. Part of that understanding is gaining insight stemming from hypothesis on how our lives came to be the way they are.

This week’s exercise is one in source attribution. From time to time, allow your mind to wander, allow it to contemplate, allow it to question the people, place and things that have become intimately intertwined with it and ask yourself "how did this come to be?"

How is that this person came into you life? How is it that you landed in this job? How is it that you acquired this chair? How is it that this particular person became your boss? And for every wandering, take the opportunity to ask yourself

1) Was this a conscious decision? Did I with full awareness accept this aspect into my life?

2) What concept, thought, feeling have I allowed myself to attach to it?

3) Is this relationship, connection, experience worth continuing?

For the next 7 days, keep a running log of each realization. Jot them down in a journal, on a piece of paper or in your iphone. Now, no immediate action is needed at this point. The goal of this exercise is NOT to have you quit your job, sell your house and move to Hawaii. Nor is to have you unfriend your Facebook friends or any of your real life friends for that matter. Where we go from here is up to you.

The goal of this exercise is to increase your ability to recognize whether or not you are an actor in your story, or if you are being acted upon? Are you allowing haphazardness to take control of the life you are living? Write your personal narrative? Are there certain people that slithered into your life when you are unaware that have overstayed their welcome?

Be Mindful of the life you are living. Be Mindful of the concepts you hold within. Be Mindful that the thoughts you hold within are actively creating the life you are living whether you are aware of them or not.

Be Mindful. BurnBright