The message of this seminar – over and over again – was that all you have to do for the transformation to begin, is to see your behaviour clearly. See who you are, and you will notice a momentum of change which has its roots in the observation itself. It is a magical, powerful part of the whole process; one which makes everything so much simpler. It allows us to relax more easily and to trust more readily that we will get where we want to go. And it leaves us with a definite sense that so much can be achieved just by observing our behaviour.
Awareness Is The Key (p.12)
Take the effort out of personal development and simply make it your goal to see yourself as clearly as you can. You will still need feedback from others because we all have blind spots with our behaviour patterns. When the feedback comes, you should know that it’s not always easy to hear what people have to say. But if you’ve been behaving for years in ways which don’t serve you, and if your development is important to you, then it is useful information.
Write Stuff Down (p.327)
This post appears again and again because it is such an effective way to intensify our observations. Make a commitment to yourself to record just one observation per day and, over time, you will not only gather a useful set of insights into how you behave and interact with your world, your powers of observation will also become more acute, more refined, and more effective.
One Simple Observation (p.118)
A very simple example of how even a slight increase in awareness can bring about a change in perspective and behaviour. Simple and easy.
Thoughts On Conditioning (p.98)
The Broken Escalator Phenomenon highlights how easily and unconsciously conditioned we are. Such a realisation begs us to ask questions about other aspects of our conditioning. Those questions create an increase in our awareness, and we all know where that leads to.
The whole subject is best summed up by the following lines from the blog post, It Begins With Awareness:
Awareness is the beginning. It is the foundation upon which personal development is built. Significant self-improvement is only possible with self-awareness. That means that until we see and acknowledge what is clearly there, we will be hindered in our development. It is the awareness which unlocks our real progress. When we become aware of our behaviour, we see it more clearly and are able to experience it on a conscious level. As a consequence, it transforms itself naturally and effortlessly into a more effective, enriching and congruent experience.
Additional posts: The Ivy Of Conditioning | The ‘How’ Is Unimportant | Heisenberg, Observation & Growth | Analysis, Awareness & Inspiration | Blind Spots