Self-Awareness for Everyone

Perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Nobody’s life is perfect. That’s not the truth, though. The truth is that everyone’s life is perfectly imperfect. Everyone makes mistakes. You, me, everyone. We all get it wrong, choose poorly, and hurt ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually. On the other hand, everyone succeeds. You, me, everyone. We all get it right, choose wisely, and help/heal ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually. Choices, options, decisions, opportunities, empowerment We live in a society with rules and laws. On top of that, there are traditions, “norms”, and tried and true ways and means. Small children play with passion and abandon. They try new things all the time. The world is full to overflowing with potential and possibilities. Somewhere along the way, however, they get introduced to concepts like winning and losing, competition, right and wrong, morality, and more. Now, the potential and possibilities are curtailed by restrictions, money, expectations of others, and various other artifices. Self-empowerment is something we all have. It’s how the perfectly imperfect is recognized and applied to control the elements of our lives that we can control. Perfection is wildly variable What to me is perfect to you might be an utter disaster. What you see as perfect I might see as imperfect. This is utterly natural – because that’s how the Universe works. We are constantly striving for perfection. And when it eludes us, we suffer. Over and over we cycle through this. We are as variable as perfection. Thus, we sometimes chase, other times just exist, and sometimes embrace the imperfection of life. That’s human nature. Mindfulness of perfection and imperfection The mythical, elusive “they” prefer people to be merely existing and living largely subconsciously. “They” suggest that the “perfection” of the world as we know it shouldn’t be questioned. Nothing could be a bigger lie, frankly. We can choose to change our lives. That might have challenges to it, open us to imperfection, and be scary. But we have the power – we just need to choose and decide to take it. Embracing our perfectly imperfect lives can show us a world of potential and possibilities waiting to become our reality. We just need to choose for ourselves what that is, in the present. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: This can either be applied to an existing project or a future one. Take something you’ve been putting off because you wanted to get it perfect or were waiting for an appropriate time. Whether it’s writing a chapter, creating a poem, building a website, creating a photo album, cleaning a room, or whatever. Stop waiting for the “perfect” circumstance and do it. Clean the room, write the chapter, paint the wall, build the website – just do it. Done is better than perfect. What’s more, perfect is in the eye of the beholder. Waiting for the perfect time, circumstance, or whatever becomes procrastination. So, big or small – just do the thing. Get it done. Because done and perfectly imperfect is better than not done. Note how finally getting that thing done feels. Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs:titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They love you but they don’t get you My family largely doesn’t get me. They love me, I know that. But they don’t get me. What does that mean? I do things, take approaches to matters, and live in ways that cause them to scratch their heads, wonder how I can possibly be content or happy this way, and probably question my sanity. To thine own self be true I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know myself. Beyond getting to know myself, I’ve spent a lot of time learning to like and even love myself. Not in a conceited way – but in a healthy, self-caring, self-worth way. I had to make a choice. Live my life for me or for them. No disrespect to the people who share my heart – but I had to live for me. I get me, you get you A conversation with my wife – the person other than me who most gets me – sparked this topic. Because I realized we have another shared commonality between us that we’d not recognized or voiced before. My family doesn’t get me. Her family doesn’t get her. The realization of this – in context – is new. But it prompted me to ask this question – when the people who share my heart don’t get me, how do I handle this? The answer has been to continue to get myself. I keep working on being consciously aware – mindful – of who, what, where, how, and why I am. And rather than try to be who they believe I am or should be – I will love them and keep being me, even if they don’t get me. That’s because they don’t need to get me. Just like I don’t need to get them. Or you. You don’t need to get me. You need only to get yourself. Choosing your life paths Recognizing and acknowledging that the people who share my heart – my family – don’t get me, could be seen as a negative. I can only be me, and I can’t think or feel for anyone else. It’s not a negative that the people who share my heart don’t get me – it simply is. Recognizing and acknowledging this has allowed me to embrace my eccentric, weird, geeky self. Rather than keep striving to be someone I’m not, I’m striving to be me. The genuine, authentic, true me that I am. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: A huge part of getting yourself is being actively consciously aware – mindful – of yourself. To that end, take this moment to pause. Answer this simple question, right at this moment. What are you doing? Not the overarching goal of your current actions (or things you're putting off, or whatever). I mean right now, asking this question, what are you doing? For example – I’m sitting at my desk, recording this podcast. When you have your answer, I’d like you to reframe it like I’m reframing this. “I’m a human being, sitting at my desk, recording my podcast.” Think about that statement. And with that, how do you feel when you say it aloud? Several times a day for the next week, try this out. Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs:titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobody lives a perfect life You’ve had both good days and bad days in your life. Like it or not, life has had its ups and downs. Nobody ever experiences just one emotion or feeling. And that’s a good thing. Why? Because you need to experience it all. That’s part of living life. Life is made up of many a paradox and uncountable extremes. But most of life occurs somewhere between any given extremes. Change is a constant inconstant You have experienced change in one form or another all your life. If you’re no longer a child, you’ve changed your body shape, size, hairiness, and more as you aged. What thrilled and motivated you when you were 10 has likely changed – or at least changed in perspective. Change has been with you and a part of you and your life all the time. Change is the one and only constant in the Universe. It is always happening and can’t be stopped. You can choose how it impacts you. Sometimes you can shift it, alter it, avoid it to a degree, and even change it again. This is where the Buddhist ideal of impermanence is super helpful. Feelings and emotions are in your control This is another place where toxic positivity gets it all wrong. The implication that you can ignore, disregard, and put on blinders to all other feelings and emotions in favor of positivity is disingenuous. Things happen that cause a visceral emotional reaction and/or feeling in you that, when it occurs, just is. And it’s different for everyone. That’s because the what of a feeling is different from the how. The what is the label and the how is the presentation. Mostly, the what is the feeling while the how is the emotion. Life is in constant motion One of my favorite quotes from Yoda says, “Always in motion is the future.” No matter what you plan – you have no control over what might occur. Random happenstance might utterly shock and surprise you. The feelings and emotions in that moment just are. And they occurred as part of life’s constant state of motion. While you can choose your feelings and emotions, it’s only possible at this moment, in the here and now. Recognizing and acknowledging the constant state of flux of feelings and emotions empowers you to use mindfulness for control in the present moment. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Here’s how to know what you’re thinking and what and how you’re feeling, right here and now. You need to set aside 5 minutes. Place yourself somewhere comfortable where you’ll be uninterrupted and undistracted. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Start the time. Take as deep a breath in as you can. Hold it for a silent 2 count, then exhale. Repeat until the timer goes off. Ask yourself this question: ·What am I thinking? Think about it. Then write it down. Now, ask yourself this question: ·What am I feeling? Think about it. Then write it down. Finally, ask yourself this question: ·How am I feeling? Think about it. Then write it down. Look over what you’ve written. You are aware of your thoughts and feelings in this moment. This moment is the only moment you can truly, genuinely be self-aware. What has this taught you? Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs:titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thinky-thoughts and brain weasels defined Thinky-thoughts originate in the subconscious, usually attached to memory. Another form of thinky-thoughts is not based in subconscious memory, but on your beliefs, values, and habits. Brain weasels, squirrels in the brain, and the like are chittering voices that will tell you how much you suck, what you’re not good at, and all sorts of similar things that aren’t true. They usually are the spawn of your comfort-desiring ego and often reflect the voices of sometimes well-intentioned friends and loved ones. Passive conscious awareness Everyone is of three minds. One that’s unconscious, one that’s subconscious, and one that’s conscious. The unconscious mind is purely automated functions of your body. The subconscious mind is almost entirely run by rote and routine. The conscious mind is your conscious awareness of yourself. The conscious mind can be both passive and active. The passive is when you are aware of yourself and your surroundings – but not doing anything to actively engage. The active is when you practice mindfulness. It’s asking questions about what you’re thinking, what and how you’re feeling, what you intend, and what you are or aren’t doing. Passive conscious awareness is where thinky-thoughts live. Because while they originate in the subconscious via memory, belief, value, and/or habit – they can only be engaged by the conscious mind. Thinky-thoughts are the road not taken and other uncertainties Thinky-thoughts might originate in the subconscious with memory, belief, value, and habit. But they’re not necessarily focused on the past. They can also be placed in the present and the future. They tend to go deep – hence why I call them thinky-thoughts. What thinky-thoughts aren’t is the here and now. They’re what was, they are alternative notions of what is, and notions and ideas of what may be. But they’re not the present, the here and now, or your true reality. The rodent thoughts of brain weasels most often chitter, squeak, and cause second-guessing, self-esteem issues, and a sense of unworthiness. They’re obnoxious, annoying, and unkind. And they are not yours – they are lying liars that lie. Employing mindfulness Active conscious awareness. That is genuine mindfulness. Mindfulness is active conscious awareness both of your inner mindset/headspace/psyche self and the world around you. Rather than passive and wholly internalized, mindfulness uses your 6 senses to naturally engage and bridge the internal with the external. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Identifying thinky-thoughts vs brain weasels is easy to do via mindfulness. Dealing with each takes the same process, though brain weasels are arguably easier to destroy since they are not your creation. If you have any chittering, annoying notions floating about your mind, sharing doubt and uncertainty that you’re rather sure isn’t yours, those are brain weasels. If you have notions based in subconscious beliefs, values, and habits, or tied to memories – those are thinky-thoughts. To deal with either, you just need to set-aside 5 minutes. Spend 2 minutes deep breathing to centered. Look at the brain-weasel or thinky-thought. Ask yourself: ·        How does this make me think? ·        How does this make me feel? ·        What does this make me feel? ·        Is it mine, or an outside influence? Asking and answering these, here and now, tells you what you’re working with. And from there, more active conscious awareness – mindfulness – will let you make change to address, remove, or otherwise deal with these. Repeat as necessary.      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Am I the only one who struggles with things? Some of the things of this nature that I struggle with are tangibles. The biggest is my health. But for many reasons, the primary reasons behind my weight issues, thus, are intangible. This stems from the underlying struggles ranging from philosophical – who, what, where, how, and why am I; to societal and personal – am I good enough, will this make them like me more, will I be more acceptable to him/her/them if I’m another way, and so on. Couple all that with ongoing mental and emotional struggles like depression, self-worth issues, self-value questions, and the like – and these things are many and easily overwhelming. Logically, I know I’m not the only one who struggles with these things. Everybody struggles with something Tangible or intangible, everybody struggles. Big or small, important and unimportant, everybody is struggling with things. And the reason is simple – because you’re human. There are three absolute certainties of life for everybody. You’re born, you live, you die. Ultimately, you and I are alone. And alone can lead to loneliness - which is why we seek connections with friends, family, strangers, and so on. Recognizing, acknowledging, and embracing our struggles Virtually every good or service you can buy is sold to you on the premise that it’ll lessen a given struggle. When it comes to your health, wellness, and wellbeing – and struggles therein – it’s in you. That doesn’t mean you have no choice but to go it alone. Lots of programs, books, medical professionals, therapists, videos, and more can offer insight, assistance, and help with this. Embracing change, growth, and evolution The one and only constant in the entire universe is change. It can, will, and does occur all the time. This in and of itself can be deeply distressing to people. Things are a certain way, have felt to always be that certain way – and when they aren’t, uncertainty is disconcerting. This is the source of probably almost – if not all - of our struggles, tangible and intangible. We need to talk about this more This gets shunted off to taboo, impropriety, and other notions of inappropriateness so that we don’t discuss it. I believe that the more we recognize, acknowledge, and embrace our struggles to one another – the more we’re empowered to work with them, together and individually. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: This week’s tool is super simple. Do something extra kind and nice for yourself. One day this week, set aside time for yourself (and if it will feel good, include a loved one/loved ones). Treat yourself to an exotic desert, a delicious meal, a movie, a play, time in a hammock or on the beach, or something equally relaxing and pleasant. No phone, no tablet, no connections to the outside world. Escape and do something that makes you feel good, content, and free of struggles. For however long you allow yourself – simply be in that space.   Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if rather than pursuing happiness we’re seeking conscious awareness? The pursuit of happiness is a notion often repeated in stories both fictional and nonfictional, inspirational quotes, and from lots of sources you encounter frequently. All advertising aims to sell you and me happiness. Buy these shoes, get that car, drink that soda, and happiness is yours for the low low price of your conscious awareness. Because that’s what I think the ongoing, never-ending pursuit of happiness is distracting you and me from. Genuine, active, conscious awareness. What if rather than happiness we’re pursuing conscious awareness? Who is in your head, heart, and soul? You. Only you. And that means you’re the only one who can know your thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions. Not only know but truly, genuinely be with. And beyond that? Change. When you’re mindful you are empowered. That empowerment allows you to take control of your life experiences. From there, you can do things that you think well of, that feel good, have the best of intentions, and are marked by actions you are content with and even proud of. And that – when you get down to it – is happiness, right? How is the pursuit of happiness a distraction? When your team wins the prize, or your celebrity gets the coveted award – you’re happy for them. More than that, you feel as if their victory, their win, their happiness is yours, too. But is it? Did you get the prize? Is your life in any way improved from the win? No. Hence, you’re distracted by the game, celebrity, and pursuit of victory/happiness they are undertaking. Chances are you don’t think about yourself at all when you focus on the game, the celebrity trials and tribulations, and so on. Happiness in and of itself is limited. Why? Because you cannot always be happy. Sure, you can mostly be happy, and have a happy attitude – but being happy? That’s fleeting and impermanent. Should it even be a pursuit? Pursuit tends to evoke notions of escape, chase, competition, lack, scarcity, and insufficiency. What you are after is trying to get away or hard to find or you must get it before another, right? This is simply not true. You and I live in an abundant universe. There’s not just enough – there’s more than enough. You are here. That’s all you need to know to recognize that you’re worthy and deserving of conscious awareness, happiness, or any other good you desire to have in your life. And you need not pursue it to have it. Because conscious awareness is already yours. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Do something that makes you happy once a day, every day, for the next week. Don’t overanalyze it, don’t debate over and over – just do something that makes you happy – whether it’s big or small. That means take a nap, eat ice cream, walk in later, have sex, read a book, or do anything at all that makes you happy. Make a conscious effort to do something that makes you happy, that doesn’t require pursuit, great expense, or anything else. Act on it and do something to make you happy every day for the next week. Write it all down. How do you feel? Does doing something that makes you happy every day feel empowering?   Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Change is inevitable, and impermanence is reality The one and only constant in the Universe is change. Change can, will, and does occur all the time. No two moments are the same. Alike, maybe, but the same? No. That’s how frequently change occurs. You might not believe it. But because people tend to resist, combat, and overall won’t accept change and the reality of it – tons of conflict on many levels is the result. A great deal of this is based on ignoring or denying the reality of change and impermanence. You might not be familiar with impermanence – but it’s a useful notion to know. What is impermanence? Impermanence is defined by dictionary.com as: Noun the fact or quality of being temporary or short-lived. Why is it good to recognize and embrace impermanence? Think of it this way – if the Universe is nearly 14 billion years old, the Earth is 4.5 billion years old, and the average human lifespan is 80 years – human life is distinctly impermanent. During the span of your life, people, places, things, experiences, and everything else you can imagine will come and go. Good, bad, or otherwise – nothing lasts forever. Embracing this truth can be empowering and massively positive because it opens you to better handling when things go badly. Nobody at all has good days all the time. Some of these seem bigger and more impactful than others. And they will be. That’s partially due to attachment and comfort zones. Attachment is when you are unable and/or unwilling to let go of something. It might be seemingly small. Comfort zones are places of extreme familiarity and the impression of stability that might not truly be comfortable. Recognizing impermanence Everything and everyone you know changes. It’s a constant, a given, a universal fact. Slow or fast, change can, will, and does occur. All the time. Thus, nothing in your life – nothing you know, feel, believe, or value – is unchangeable. That’s impermanence. And recognizing impermanence opens you to more easily roll with the punches in the face of change and its inevitability. Why? Because since impermanence recognizes that everything everywhere changes – you empower yourself to be better able to work with and through change. This is a positive notion because it means the bad, negative, unpleasant things that happen will pass. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: This week’s tool requires you to let go of something. Choose an item you have that doesn’t truly serve you. I don’t mean a useful tool, a special paperweight you got from your grandfather, or anything that you frequently recognize. Choose something you have but barely notice, often forget about or hasn’t been useful to you for some time. Give it away. Don’t sell it, give it away. You can donate it somewhere or just randomly pass it to a stranger. If you can give away that item anonymously, do so. Either give away 3 items on 3 different days this week or multiple items all at once. Release anything you’ve been at least partly attached to but aren’t anymore. How does it feel to detach from this mostly useless thing? Will you remember giving it away in a week or two? This lesson in impermanence can be deeply freeing and empowering to you.   Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Focus on what you can’t control, you cede your power I’m not saying it’s not good to have a general idea of what is happening in the world at large – but when that’s your primary focus, you shouldn’t be surprised when it has all your time and attention. Then you find you have less control over your life than you desire, and/or you feel like you’ve little to no control. The primary issue is this – what you focus the most on is what you give your attention to. That means that if you focus on people, places, and/or things outside of yourself, you lose focus on yourself. Control begins with active conscious awareness Active conscious awareness is mindfulness. This is the act of being present, here and now, and aware of your thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions. When you focus on your thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions, you can see if they suit you – or not. And if not – you now have the power to change them. That’s empowerment. Focus on yourself, and you empower yourself. However, this probably leads to this question: Isn’t this selfish? NO. Why not? Because self-care and self-awareness are not selfish. Focus within versus without Focus on what’s outside of you - the people, places, and things you have little to no control over – and you lose sight of yourself. When you focus within, however, you empower yourself. That’s because when you focus within, you get clarity of your thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions. Focusing within empowers you to take control of these and align them to best suit your life. Why is this important? In a culture where the idea of being “woke” has been weaponized to suggest that such awareness is bad should tell you everything about why this is important. Because the people “in power” – knowing that the truth is that it’s utterly fake – don’t want “woke” people. “Woke” people are awake, aware, and empowered. When you turn your focus inwards, you gain clarity of your true needs, desires, likes, dislikes, and so on. Focus within empowers you to change what you need/desire to change. Empowerment is limitless. Everyone has the right to it, and almost all lack, scarcity, and insufficiency you encounter is artificial and intentionally disempowering. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: This week’s tool requires you to choose yourself. For the next week, don’t watch any TV news programs. Avoid CNN, BBC News, the major networks, local news, all of it. Do not watch any news media. Additionally – set a time limit for how long you allow yourself to surf any social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok – limit yourself to no more than 5-minute blocks on any of these sites – and try to keep this to no more than 3 times a day. Then, at the end of the day, write down if you notice less tension, less stress, and any increase in your ability to focus on your life. At the end of the week, if you can see a difference in how you’re thinking and feeling, and that you have greater focus within – consider continuing this for another week. Repeat as often as it feels right or becomes a habit.   Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choosing to change begins with recognition and acknowledgment The other day, I came to a stark realization. I needed to actively change. As always, it’s a choice of approach and direction for you to make. I am no longer aligned with the reality of my life when it comes to certain habits and beliefs. Passive recognition and acceptance My story. On a personal level, I had become so comfortable in my friendships and how they worked – that I missed that they changed. They changed without me. This is neither good nor bad. It’s just the truth. And it’s taken me quite a long time to recognize and acknowledge it and what it is. Pre-pandemic, I had friends who were like family to me. Through no fault, no mistakes, and no determinable thing – those friendships changed. That’s because we all changed – and those changes made us different enough that the once-close friendships shifted. Recognizing when you need to change Change happens. It’s the only constant in the universe. I am in no way blaming anyone or anything for this. And to anyone reading this who I consider a friend – you know I mean no disrespect, but you aren’t a close confidant of that nature. But the major realization I’ve had is this - I have not let go of that comfort zone. What does that mean? It means I need to change. The illusion of the old friends who are like family, and close confidants, needs to give way to the true reality that is my life. This is not a negative I know that this might read as negative. But it’s not. I’m not lamenting a loss, blaming anyone or anything, or seeking sympathy. I’m sharing that I’m recognizing that while the reality of my life has changed – I need to change with it. When I came to this realization, that the comfort zone of my friendships has changed – I felt elated. This didn’t create longing, sadness, or any negative emotion. I didn’t feel bad when I realized the nature of the friendships I have aren’t like older, but no longer close friendships. Instead, I felt free. It was a relief to recognize and acknowledge this. The world changed, and the people I walk it with changed, too. The confusion caused by this false comfort zone has lifted. And that’s tremendous, empowering positivity for me. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: This might not apply to you now but might be in the future. Write out your answers. Think about something that you did regularly a year ago. Maybe it was time spent with friends or family, a regular activity like going to a gym, or something of that nature. How do you remember it feeling? Are you still doing it now? Is this activity what and how it was a year ago? If so – find another to analyze. If not – why not? What changed? Was it you or was it extenuating circumstances? Now that you know it’s changed have you made changes to alter the impact this had on you and your life? If not – do you need to make changes, and if so – what does that look like? This information goes a long way toward greater self-awareness and working with rather than against the inevitability of change.   Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your mental health should not be neglected Where do you find the good in yourself? The good in yourself is abundant. And that’s a reflection of the truth that you and I live in an abundant Universe. There is more than enough good to go around. Everyone deserves care, kindness, compassion, empathy, and love. Your true desire is along that line. Mental health (emotional health and spiritual health, too) gets insufficient attention. But self-awareness depends on your knowledge of your health, wellness, and wellbeing. And only you can recognize how that looks. What is resistance? To quote Pressfield directly, “Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. … If you take Resistance at its word, you deserve everything you get. Resistance is always lying and always full of shit.” Resistance is a force that stands against your work to be your best self. It frequently manifests as procrastination, excuses, indecision, and anything and everything that keeps you from doing your work. Resistance and mental health Resistance is a product of the ego. The ego, as I envision it, is a construct between your subconscious and conscious self that you project to the world at large - but also reflect back to yourself. From The War of Art, “Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.” To be who you are requires fighting Resistance. You’ve done it before – even if you didn’t call it this. As such – you can do it again. This battle will bring up issues of self-awareness that directly impact your mental, emotional, and spiritual health, wellness, and wellbeing. Fear again Fear is often the most impactful isness on our conscious awareness. Yet it’s largely intangible. One of the most recognizable elements of Resistance is fear. Again, from The War of Art, “Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance.” “Fear doesn’t go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.” Do you recognize Resistance and how combatting it empowers you? This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Today we’re going to take something you need or desire to do and chunk it down as part of combatting Resistance. Even if you don’t have something of this nature in front of you now, you can use this tool going forward. Let’s put this into step. 1.      Identify the thing you need and/or desire to do 2.      What are its constituent parts? 3.      What needs to be done immediately, what can be delayed, and what can be put off? 4.      Set times to accomplish the individual elements 5.      Do the work Chunking anything down that you face – even small things – can empower you to get them done with less resistance. By doing this, you beat Resistance – and that goes a long, long way towards improving your overall health – mental, emotional, spiritual, and even physical.   Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices