LABELS

Your mind, like all minds, tends to identify and label things automatically: tree, stranger, yellow. Without realizing it, you then begin to anticipate what you are going to see next based on what you know. When this happens, your awareness grows duller, as the lazy brain overlooks distinctions. People lose their unique identity and richness, and experiences are compared to what “was” rather than being exposed for what is now.

When you look at life without any labels or expectations, all the wonders of this precious moment reveal themselves.

Practice

To sharpen your awareness, notice the subtleties in things. Consciously look for differences rather than similarities. When you interact with someone you “know,” act as if you are meeting them for the first time. Notice how they look, how they act; listen to what they say. This is a foundational practice of awareness.

Living a Life of Awareness

~ Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.