When I first talk to people about what we do here at HumanWealth Partners, they often ask me the tactical questions first, like “where or how do I start to practice what you’re calling the Art of Life?” Whether they just want to experience more ease and less anxiety in their day-to-day activities, or whether they want their organization to operate more effectively, or whether they want to maximize the social impact of their work, they just want to know what to do, where to begin.
As I mentioned in my last post on culture, the place to begin is with awareness. This is, in fact, the first practice of the Art of Life. Without awareness, we don’t know what’s going on and what to then do about it.
But what is “awareness”? Put simply, it is giving attention to reality. It is observing, and understanding, how things work and how they fit together. Practicing awareness means focusing my attention on something long enough to see it as fully as I’m able, and without judgment of how I think it’s supposed to be.
A common example might be helpful. Have you ever witnessed, or experienced for yourself, two people “talking past each other”? It’s almost like they’re having two different conversations with someone who isn’t there, right?! What would happen if each dropped the assumptions about what the other was saying, and what they were going to say next, and actually tuned in to the person right there? If even one of the two brought his or her attention fully to the other, how might that transform the conversation? And just think what would happen if you multiplied that throughout your day.
Sounds great, right – but how do I do that? Thankfully, there are lots of things you can do to begin to practice awareness. You can “people-watch” for starters. The next time you’re out for a walk, or on a park bench, try to really observe the people around you. What are they doing? What are they wearing? What are their facial expressions telling you? The more you do this, the more you begin to notice – and the greater your awareness of what’s going on around you.
You can also do this with yourself – though this is the part that scares most people! But it’s essential. One of the best ways to build self-awareness is through meditation. Scientists have been telling us for some time now that meditation is helpful for reducing stress and medical symptoms, but it can also help you better understand what the heck is going on inside of you. Sometimes we seem a mystery to ourselves, and meditation is one tool we have at our disposal to build awareness.
Meditation is just the tip of the iceberg, so let me offer two more tools for building awareness: yoga and art. Aside from its physical benefits, yoga was originally created to prepare the mind to meditate. Awareness of the body, according to the ancient yogis, led to awareness of the mind and the self. (That’s something for our modern-day power yogis out there to ponder.) Art can do something similar. An artist might draw the same tree or flower time after time, for dozens or hundreds of times, in each instance learning something new about the shape or textures of the plant. This "noticing reality" is the practice of awareness.
There are more ways to build your awareness. The point is to start, as even a little bit of awareness helps you build more. And that will lead you deeper into your Art of Life.