#482 Keeping Tabs on our State of Being - our Operating System

     It's common to forget what we're doing or supposed to be doing. We start searching for topic "A" on the web, and hours later, we've meandered our way through the alphabet, and are deeply into topic "Z". Even when we're not on electronic gadgets, we're more often absent-minded than on track. But that's just a basic level of mindlessness.
     An equally or perhaps even more important level of potential awareness is being in touch with our state of being. Knowing whether we're in a waking state, dream state, a state of deep, dreamless sleep, or perhaps in a state of pure awareness. In the latter, we can objectively observe or witness these changing states without identifying with them or with the self that appears in them.
         Thompson E. "Waking, Dreaming, Being: New Light on the Self and Consciousness from Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy." Columbia University Press, 2014. http://evanthompson.me/waking-dreaming-being/

     From a very practical standpoint, being aware when we're afraid or angry, we can immediately realize that our performance is adversely being affected, whether we're studying, writing an exam, having a job interview, playing a sport, or even having a fist fight. Being afraid or angry is akin to running a computer on an obsolete operating system - it works poorly. We have to first be aware of this state of being to then be able to release it.
     Regardless of what we're doing, again from studying to fighting, our performance - AND QUALITY OF LIFE - is optimized when we're genuinely relaxed, alert, aware, & open-hearted. And yes, a good fighter can & should be all of those even during a fight.
     Both of these levels of awareness are desirable & possible to progressively enhance with training - MINDFULNESS PRACTICE - and "practice makes perfect." 

Kreber   www.dpreview.com