Are You Aware? Your Level of Consciousness Can Change the World
This blogpost was originally posted by our founder Jane Finette here.
Consciousness is the lever that unlocks the world’s largest most persistent and perennial problems. A global increase in consciousness is long overdue.
I opened Pandora’s box to consciousness about 6 years ago. What do I mean by this? I mean truly becoming awake. Aware of oneself, other people, and one’s surroundings, and similarly understanding the impact our thoughts, words, and actions have in all ways. Like most of us, we know we are alive (!) and therefore, we naturally assume we are ‘awake’. Not always so. Higher states of awareness can be reached, and that can create a significant impact on your life, and the world around you. In a short space of time with relatively little effort you can become more in control of your thoughts and emotions, deepen your connection to your work and others, and increase your success and fulfillment. Wouldn’t you want to have the full experience of life? One where you see, feel and be more?
So why aren’t we all doing this?
For a number of reasons. Everything from the methods of mindfulness training and coaching being seen as too fluffy and hippy; even though there is now so much unrefuted scientific evidence on the power of mindfulness.To there simply not being enough awareness that this is even possible, and a whole lot more in between. I’m starting this series of posts sharing research, explanations, reasons to start, and practical advice on how to increase your own consciousness, plus that of others to address just that. (Who knows, it could even become good book material at some point!).
Let me start by sharing some of my own story to help set the stage, and make this heady topic more approachable.
Back in 2011, I was working at Mozilla in a leadership position.I got to take part in a well-intentioned leadership development, and coaching program. And, in a few short weeks — it had cracked my world wide open, which was terrifying and also like coming home, as corny as that sounds. There was a deep sense of knowing about myself, which at 35 I’d never experienced before.
The program wasn’t typical, not the kind that taught executive presence to get ahead, influence others, drive results, and the like, but rather one focused on one’s individual personal leadership growth. Looking back I owe them the earth!
As part of that training, I learned practical things such as how I was getting in my own way. For the first time, I could hear the useless thought patterns I had on loop filling up precious mind space. I got to know at my core what was my driving decisions, and what had been driving decisions my whole life long. I was able to sink deeply into my innate strengths, and could embrace them as the very essence of who I am. I became aware of myself, of it all. I had answers. I saw the world through a completely different lens. At the time, I had, unbeknownst to me, been increasing my own level of consciousness. An oxymoron indeed! It was like someone gave me not only the first chapter to the manual of Jane Finette, but also the manual of how to think about other people, and the world. I found myself asking why didn’t I get access to this 20 years ago! Why isn’t this being taught in schools!
Over the past years I have become increasingly immersed in coaching and mindfulness. I got trained as a coach myself at the Coaches Training Institute(CTI). I’ve coached hundreds of clients, hired and engaged scores of coaches, and worked on research with the University of Southern California and The Center for Social Impact Learning (CSIL). I also started The Coaching Fellowship, now a leading nonprofit giving hundreds of social impact women leaders across the world access to coaching.
I’ve learned a lot. And what I see happen time and again is that with some careful awareness and practise — anyone can exponentially increase their level of consciousness. And that’s astounding.
Now let’s reflect again, why does that matter? How can you tell if you are aware? What good will it do? For sure it sounds like an interesting intellectual exercise, stimulating and also even indulgent perhaps. However, Harvard Business Review research cites that greater self-awareness will increase your capacity to lead. In fact, this research; one of the largest leadership development studies ever under taken of leaders across the world, age range and activity — found the only unifying characteristic of these great leaders was their commitment to continual self development and learning. Not only will self work lead to a better life for you, but it will for others too. For an increase in mindfulness also leads to greater levels of compassion and therefore altruism.
I am convinced that what you and what the world needs right now is in an increase in the level of human consciousness — en masse. With some small steps in mindful attention, this can result in hundreds, thousands, millions of tiny changes. We’ll remember to turn the lights off to save electricity more often, we’ll think about food waste, we’ll help a work colleague just because, we might even quit our job, and earn less — but find meaning. We’ll step up and fight for a cause which drives our very being.
On a global scale, we do have enough food on the planet, we do have enough water to go around, what we do not have, is enough people in our world today who want to solve these challenges. And, that is all a consciousness issue. When people work on their own self development, they eventually come to a place where they want to help not only others, but everything reach its highest potential. We are more than ready for a consciousness revolution.
So ask yourself. How aware am I?
:: Here’s a single simple first step you can take. For at least 10 minutes every day notice what the internal voice in your head is saying to you. Try to capture some of what it says. Write it down. At the end of the week review it. I think you’ll be surprised. ::
In my next post, I’ll share more about these internal thought patterns, what are they, why they exist, and how you can get to know them better.
I hope you’ll tag along for the ride, as we need more people caring, awake at the level where you cannot put Pandora back in the box.
Warning: Increasing your level of consciousness doesn’t come with a downgrade, or an opt out. So be prepared!
