Waking up doesn’t just occur each morning when we slam that annoying alarm clock. Waking up tends to occur many different times in our lives but rarely enough. Waking up is becoming aware and conscious of the life we are living in the here and now. Too often we are on autopilot, we don’t think about our actions, reactions, or daily encounters; we simply move through life. When we are awakened there is a new sense of alertness, movement, sensation, feeling, reaction, and action.
Think back to the last time you were ill either seriously ill with a broken something, that caused you to slow down, or an illness that prevented you from working or doing your every day routines. Think about the last time you had a paper cut, how often that day did you notice that cut because of washing your hands or using them somehow. Consider the last time you had a toothache and you noticed every part of your mouth, your tongue, your gums and how painful it was to chew food. In those moments of loss, of some type of normal habit, it seemed that something had been awakened to the loss.
Can you also recall when you first healed, the cast came off and you took that first step again, the illness subsided and you could go back to work. The paper cut healed and you no longer flinched when soap hit your finger. You could chew your food and nothing hurt. Think about how appreciative you were in that moment. You probably thought I should really appreciate my health every day. Then the next day you were back on autopilot again. You were awake but only briefly.
So, how can we stay awake? What can we do to appreciate our lives to deliberately create motion, to intentionally be present during encounters, to live life to the fullest? Some of the experts say keep a gratitude journal daily! Write 5 new things you appreciate every single day. Others say journal at the end of your day about what you did to help others, how you shared your life, and about your encounters. When you know you will be accountable to yourself daily you will begin to live more awake. Pray and meditate at the beginning of each day. Center and wake yourself ask for inspiration, guidance, and kindness to live a fully awakened day. We can wake up to life intentionally it just takes effort, time, and the self-discipline to do it.
