What is conscious living?  What does it mean to live a conscious life?  Well, for me, consciousness refers to being deliberate and intentional–in short, it means to be aware.  I like this approach to life because it asks that we make our day-to-day decisions from a place of authenticity, instead of relying on our socialization and the status quo.  Consciousness empowers us and insists that we move through our days awake and aware, understanding our true selves and in command of our minds and our emotions.  It allows us to create friendships, relationships, accept work and build careers, advance our education and create our lives in the empowered state of wakefulness.  Further, we make decisions and take action only after we contemplate and accept the impact they will have on not just us, but also others and the world in which we  live.

Wow, I know that sounds complicated, but it’s what’s required if we are to build lives of fulfillment and satisfaction.  Today’s statistics suggest that our old approach to living isn’t working for us.  We’re suffering mentally and physically from lives that aren’t well lived, and we seem to be very uncomfortable in our own skin.  Just take a look:  Annually, approximately 17 million Americans experience some form of depression, with women being twice as likely to suffer depression than men; nearly half (about 43%) of first-time marriages in the U.S. end in divorce; thirty-three percent of all families with children younger than 18 are headed by a single parent–usually a female; and last year, 9.5 million cosmetic procedures were preformed in the U.S., with breast augmentation as the most popular procedure.

What’s going on?  It seems to me that we’re making a lot of unconscious choices that result in difficult and depressing lives.  We’re going through the motions of living without taking the time to get to know ourselves and our authentic interests and values.  Our minds are congested with thoughts of getting ahead, making enough money, acquiring the extras, appearing successful to others, having the perfect weddings and vacations, rearing the smartest and most beautiful children, enhancing our own beauty, achieving perfect health gained through the “miracle pill,” and the list goes on and on.  There’s a lot of striving going on, and most of it is about keeping up appearances and living the so-called “good life.”  It doesn’t seem to be working for us, and we’re paying the price with a kind of discomfort and dis-ease that we can’t seem to shake off.

So, what’s the fix?  How do we bring more joy and fulfillment into our lives?  That’s what I’d like to explore with this blog.  It’s a search that I’ve been on for the past decade or so of my life.  I’ve made a lot of progress, but I have to admit that it isn’t easy–at least it hasn’t been for me.  I’m a product of my socialization and environment, and let’s just say that I have one foot in the “old world” and one in this “new world.”  I’m a little uncomfortable and off-balance sometimes, but my happiness and overall satisfaction with life are growing more and more each day, as I make conscious everyday choices that reflect the values and ideas which have meaning and importance to me authentically.  If that outcome resonates as valuable to you, then I invite you to visit my blog often and get involved in the discussion.  I don’t have all the answers, but I can share some of the questions and issues that I’ve contemplated, the books and articles that I’ve read and many of my experiences and observations to help others along in their journey.  Most of what I write will be focused on the female perspective because that’s what I know, and it’s a journey in which I’m keenly interested.

I am sure that the discoveries we make together will uplift, inspire and empower you–body, mind and soul.

Thanks for your participation 🙂