how to be aware in an unaware world

Tag: mindfulness

Why
Boy, it’s been a good while since I wrote a blog post, a process that was so dear to me, but, as they say, there is no time like the present, because, well, there is only the present.
Starting to share thoughts from this wild mind of mine feels like a breath of fresh air.
My mind exists in a jungle of vines, bushes, and strangling things, but through this process of creative writing and musing a door appears in the distance – opening into a land of blue skies, rolling hills, and the purest air known to man.
And it’s in getting to that land that the wild becomes tame and the dark jungle gives way to bright pastures.
I know. I know it’s cheesy. I’m a fiend for analogies, but this process of writing really is super impactful to me.
But alas, I digress, you wanted a new blog post and so I dug deep into my archive and found just the thing to write about!
It begins with a simple yet deeply insightful question.
What keeps you up at night and what gets you up in the morning?
These two questions will invariably answer the “Why?” in our lives and that “Why?” gets to the meat of it all, to the core of our very being.
There are obviously no right or wrong answers to this question.
There’s no one answer either. Highly fluctuating answers will come at different stages in life, that’s totally okay and only a reflection of our aspirations.
The “Why do I stay up at night?” in my life right now is to make money, or more specifically, to pay off some debt, save a good chunk of cash, and invest extra earnings. This “Why?” is not very glamorous, but it is necessary. I must stabilize myself financially so I can move on to my next “Why?”.
The next “Why?”, “Why do I get up in the morning?” is unquestionably to help others that come across my path live a happy and healthy life through deep listening, occasional words of wisdom, mindfulness teaching, emotional support, and guided meditations. In other words, my “Why?” is the very thing I am building: Mindfulness &
Each of these categories contain a plethora of direct and applicable advice, with mindfulness teaching being at the core.
I adamantly believe that mindfulness is the foundation by which we build a happy and healthy life on. Like the foundation of a house (which reminds me of the Series of Unfortunate Events movie scene when that house completely falls apart into the ocean, but the rock on which it stands is still perfectly intact).
The reason mindfulness is so important is because it opens our eyes and ears to even be aware of the very question. It brings us back to the present moment, forcing us to reflect on the “Why?”.
I would also say community support is equally foundational because it entails surrounding us with people that can enrich our lives and remind us that we are never alone in any stage of life. Without community support we are lost in the sea, and no man is an island.
This point of community was humorously illustrated when a man tried to make his own chicken sandwich from scratch (by procuring all that is needed to make the ingredients). I won’t spoil anything, just say that it was no easy process at all.
We live by way of a very complex system of logistics. Everything from the cup of coffee we drink to the very words I’m typing on this laptop took hundreds of thousands of people in order to be.
This is the beauty of interdependence. The quicker we understand how much we need each other, the quicker we can get out of our own way and serve.
Three More Things
February 7, 2026
Past
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
– George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair aka George Orwell (his pen name) does something very few writers do: present a strong message of consequence with prose and wit.
It is so true that those that control the present also control the future. Look at the corporations and governments in power today. They are deeply rooted in the past.
Losing grip on the present means losing grip on the future, no matter how tight a grip you had on the past.
Having seen WWII first hand, Eric knew the devastating effects of control and power by displaying it in his writing, mixing fanaticism with dystopia.
Though this quote was most likely intended to display criticism, it can also be a motivational message: to live presently, in the only little piece of existence we can control.
And yet, even in the present we can be distracted by internal noises, opinions, over thinking, rumination, and perception bias.
It is our inner critic that is responsible for our mindlessness, “you’re not good enough” or “you need that to be happier” or “you’ve gotta look more like that person” or “you have to do more to be successful”.
These are thoughts embedded in a consumerist society, whose members are countless comparing themselves with each other.
They are also indeed thoughts embedded in a past self or unrealized future, one consumed with a “better” version of oneself: “I used to look much skinnier.” or “I have to work harder to make more money in the future.”
Let go of the need for anything other than what you already have and you create space to be everything you’ve always wanted.
The illusion of necessity is strong in a consumerist society; it tells us that in order to be truly happy we have to have something, someone, or be some place.
Beyond the basic necessities met, our happiness doesn’t exist in things. To quote Joshua Fields Milburn off the top of my head, “Love people and use things, because the opposite never works.”
Want happiness? It’s already here.
Want peace? It’s already inside.
Want joy? It’s already reflected.
Want success? It’s already achieved.
Want money, status, power, and possession? It’s not worth it.
Think about the things in your life that are in your control, and those that are out of your control. Reflect on that list.
For me it’s:
1. My health – to workout each day, eat whole foods, sleep well, laugh with friends and family, etc.
2. My perspective – to see the glass more than halfway full, see the goodness in humanity, lift others up, accept other’s differences, etc.
3. My work – to pour into something I believe (like writing), be a team player, grind when possible, rest when necessary, etc.
4. My inner child – to love and nourish him, praise and encourage him, affirm the goodness in him, etc.
5. My inner peace – to pause each day, feel the present, reflect on the past, plan for the future, glimpse into eternity, etc.
In an effort to drastically improve this blog, and kick off a new era for the Mindfulness & website, I’ll be redesigning the site, adding podcast episodes for each post, meditations, reflection of the day, photo of the week, and much more.
Some Fancy Links:
August 10, 2025
Writing
I am in the process of not only developing a writing habit but also developing an identity as a writer. I want to proudly tell people I am a writer, that writing isn’t just something I do but something I am.
I have written about a page a day for the past eight years, after meditation, but it is not enough. I must go beyond the pages of a journal or even this blog and into the ether that is storytelling.
One of my many inspirations in this world is Hugh Howley, author of the acclaimed SILO series.
Hugh mentions the difference between being an amateur writer and being an acclaimed author. A shift from interested to obsessed.
He describes the path it took to create the SILO series. He was writing from an emotional place, a place that bled into the characters of his first draft.
From there, he says it grew naturally and formed like a sculpture from a ball of clay, though the idea was tucked away in his mind long before it made its way into books across the nation.
An idea of any size takes shape over time, culminating yet ignored by most of us—the separation between that which is great and that which is not is measured by awareness.
The more we are aware, aka mindful, the more we can find those ideas that can spark something in us, then write them down, record them, or create something from them (like a business, piece of music, or work of art).
But it is not enough to just be aware, we must also take action (intention). There are three focus points to mindfulness:
Awareness – of the body and mind in the present moment
Emotion – how we are feeling in the present moment
Intention – of what we dream to be in the present moment
Our greatest selves are here in the present moment, already complete.
When we start from this place, we can go anywhere because we aren’t trying to “complete” or “achieve” anything.
Actualization – from idea to identity.
Luckily, I just want to be a writer to become one. The passion is built into me. Now, the discipline must follow, and then I’ll have a rhythm – a daily practice that can produce incredible results.
Yet, each obstacle in my way of being a writer is but a building block to the writer I want to become.
What I love about books is that the author behind each story is different, and yet some series of obstacles shaped them all.
What I love about writing is that it is the very expression of the soul, sometimes bound together in and shared with other souls, and sometimes kept only for one’s own soul.
June 3, 2025