Awareness

In today's episode, we discuss awareness and why having it is important for yourself and others. Awareness helps you make better choices, manage your emotions, and reach your goals.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome to the Art of Conversation. It's your girl Lilicia C. And we're out recording live, yo. Happy Monday. Happy Monday. Happy Monday. Good afternoon. Happy mindful Monday. How you feeling? Hiya. How is your weekend? Some people still celebrate the Fourth of July. Others don't. I'll leave that there. How's your weekend? How's your Monday going? What you got planned for the rest of your Monday? Have you set the tone for the rest of the week? Etc. etc. Right. Mindful Mondays. The title of today's episode is awareness. So according to Oxford, awareness is the state or ability to perceive, feel, or be conscious of objects, thoughts, or emotions, right? So it is your ability to recognize yourself as an individual, separate from others and your environment, right? No influences, just yourself and how you show up, what you have to offer, how you occupy a space, what do you take from a space, how do you feel? What do you tell yourself? All of that good stuff. And then there's also the awareness of your surroundings, the environment, other people, other people's feelings, etc. With awareness comes understanding. But it you know, everything in life is you know, we got free will. Unlike many other species, we have free will, right? Life is about experience and taking chances, and your choices ref the way your life basically reflects the choices you've made, basically. And some people don't understand, and many do. Some find out too late, but as long as you find out, right? Your choices scope your future, your life presently is a reflection of your choices. Now, that's not always the case, right? Some people are gonna definitely like contradict. That's not always the case because sometimes unfortunate things happen to people and they made the right choices. Yes, there's those, there's those, there's those. But also with awareness and reflection, understanding your own patterns and habits, emotions, character, etc. Boundaries, you know, the list goes on, right? So sometimes in a person's mind they can think that, oh, I made the right choices, like I'm in the right, but how much validity is there depending on the situation, right? So then there's this whole notion of there's three sides to a story there's yours, the other person, and in the middle is the truth, right? Sometimes that happens. Then there's also your perspective, and sometimes you can have tunnel vision. Oh, this seems like the right thing, and then you got to look back on why you would consider this right and why someone else would consider this wrong. All right, well, what's the backstory? Why do you think this is the right approach, right choice, right thing, right thing to say, do, except whatever it is. What it why do you deem this as the right way or correct way? Oh, because well, growing up, or oh, because this is how I've been, all right, this is how you've been doing it. But where did that have been doing it start from, right? Because then you think about early childhood and you think about kids, they're sponges, they absorb everything around them. So when you hear teachers or social workers, counselors, anyone who's in a facility working in some kind of capacity with kids, and they see certain behaviors and characteristics, you question what the child may be exposed to at home. Home. You know, home is always the root of everything, basically. Home. That's home. That's the root. Your parents, your sibling, your family, like their beliefs become your beliefs. Their condition has become your condition in a way of thinking it. So being aware of where this came from, why I would think that this is okay. And then the same situation is what you know happens to another person or whatever capacity, and then or you tell the person the situation or they witness it, and you'll defend yourself and say that this is right, and another person will see this and be like, no, this is wrong. And then now it's like, well, why do you think this was the wrong way or wrong thing, or why do you think this is wrong? Then they'll say, Well, ah ah ah. You may have some understanding, right? Like me personally, I don't like someone who agrees with everything I say because where's your own personal identity and opinion? Like, this shouldn't be, this should never be a case of I'm trying to impress you and agree with everything you're saying. I don't want that. Like, I like a challenge. Like I know we we we contrast somewhere. So I want to know from your perspective, maybe you could get me to open my eyes and think differently because maybe this is I just happen to see this, and maybe this is repetitious, and I've seen this happen before, so it seems to be a pattern. But if you see something different and you think differently, I want to understand, let me see it. Oh, now I have a different perspective because now, yeah, that is possible. I'd even think that way, right? Awareness, we're being open, aware, understanding and being open to understanding, right? What you deem correct may not or right might not be right and correct for someone else. And that's boundaries, respect, etc. Then we, you know, mindful Monday, and we're always pushing and reminding about mental health. So mental Monday, mental health Monday, mindful Monday, you know what I'm saying? Mental health, and we think about awareness, right? I'll ask you, right? How well are you at noticing the signs within yourself? We're talking about mental health now, and we're talking about connecting it to the the word awareness and what we know our basic understanding of awareness. How do we connect the two? So if I'm asking you guys, the listeners, how well are you at noticing the signs within yourself to identify when something's not right, right? By habit, I do this, I feel this way, I think this way, and out of nowhere I'm doing things differently. Maybe I'm more erratic than usual. This, this, this, this, your whole routine shifts. Are you aware to identify that you're doing that? Are you aware to know that there's been a shift? What caused the shift? Like, are you aware? Are you aware that you're communicating to someone in a way where they communicate with you all the time, but this day or this time, I hear what you're saying, but you're very aggressive and angry while you're saying it. And normally you don't talk or communicate, convey a message to me in this tone with this attitude, no enthusiasm or like, are you aware? You could be you, hey, are you alright? I notice you're kind of no, I'm fine. Clearly, you're not. Clearly you're not, right? Are you aware? Like, uh, how are you how well are you at noticing that within yourself? And even others, right? We talk about kids and parents, or especially mothers, having this kind of intuition of knowing what something's wrong before the kid says it, or you just know your kid is somewhere and something's not right, and you feel it in your body, and you're wondering what's going on, whatever the case may be. Where or maybe a co-worker, something you notice this person is, you know, you're human, you're not gonna always be the same all the time. Things change, life happens, but for the most part, this is this person's collectively, we can agree that this is this person's temperament or basic baseline. We'll say baseline for the most part. And all of a sudden, the past week or few days, they're just they're not welcoming, they're not socializing, they're not talking, less communication, less eye contact, they're eating differently, they don't smell the same, or they're staying late, they're coming to work late, whatever, whatever. It could be apparent, like whatever the situation is. Are you aware of these changes in yourself and others? Awareness, here's that word again. Are you aware? Are you aware of your surroundings? The people around you, especially nowadays, 2026, 2026, you know, since life hasn't been the same once we got into the double digits of the millennium. What I mean is once we started hitting into like the 2010s, 2011s, it was a wrap. Like once we were still in the early 20s bracket, single digits, um, from like the 90s into like early 2000s, like shit was a vibe, right? All my people who was able to experience that era, it was a vibe. You had to be there. It's and things shift, right? Things change, nothing in life remains the same. And I hope people are at this time aware of at least that nothing remains the same. No matter how much you want to hold on to the memory or the feeling, it will never be the same. This place will never be the same, people will never be the same, you won't have the same taste in music, you may or may not, you may not have the same taste in foods. What was once a favorite is no longer. Are you aware of those changes? You know, I be feeling like you go through numerous puberties in your lifetime. You know, there's the puberty and going, you become a teenager. Like, there's so many different areas of your life that you're going through puberty because you go through changes, you're always evolving. You should want to evolve. Like, I want to see the many layers and versions of myself. Like, why wouldn't you? You should be intrigued. You should be intrigued with yourself and just knowing yourself, right? People be saying, Oh, I know you. How could you possibly know another person more than they know themselves? You may know certain characteristics because you're studying and watching them that hard, or you became or are that comfortable and accessible that you're able to know, oh, you're gonna respond like this, you're gonna do this, you're gonna eat this, you're gonna go here on this day at this time. Like, it's a bit much, but you have dynamics that's like that, right? All of a sudden, switch, switch, aware, aware, awareness, awareness, awareness. Are you aware? Are you aware of the things that's going on around you? When we talk about surroundings, yeah, we're talking about the people around you, the people you allow into your home, the people you around, around your kids, around your spouses, around your heart. The list goes on, right? But also around what you absorb, also around what's going on in the world that can affect yourself and those things that you're aware of. What I'm asking again is are you aware? Are you paying attention? Are you paying attention? Are you aware that every time this happens, something else happens, and I just noticed that it'll be some kind of phenomenon? This is like you know, this is a phenomenon, that's what it is. One after another after another after another. Are you aware that if this happens, I can expect to hear, or something else is gonna trickle behind this, or this type of change that's gonna affect the communities or the country can possibly shift the temperament, right? Of the country. Because now you could do something that's gonna cause an uproar. Now people are focused on we're gonna boycott, we're gonna protest, we're gonna this, we're gonna that, and everybody's focused on da-da-da-da-da-da. Then you got your other set of people who are desperate, they're you know, attention is a hell of a drug, and we talk about awareness. Are you aware of people's intentions? Some people are fake as hell, you know. What you see is not what you get, especially with social media. People are desperate for attention, views, engagement. They get paid. I get it, you're a content creator. Not everybody is one, and it requires a lot of work to keep up, right? Whoever's successful at it, kudos for them. I'm sure they worked very hard to do that. Other people in the making, hey, you know what's required. You gotta put in that work and be consistent. But then we're in an era in a generation where negative sells, so people will do anything for attention. Are you aware that this person is doing this for attention? Are you aware? Like, is this attention stemming from trauma or some type of shit? Like, you're willing to do just anything. Look at me, look at me, whether it's bad or good. Or where is this desperate desperation and need to fuel? You need the attention and validate where did this is further than just the views to get the money? Like, you're willing. What do you are you aware that this choice and decision is compromising your own moral compass, your belief system, the things that you're you're non-negotiables? Are you aware that you might see it as oh, this is harmless? Are you aware that this has consequences? Are you aware, you know, I could throw this word around, lay back to mental health again, right? Because that still falls under mental health, right? If you go back, it's not always the case for everyone, but in most cases, there's a reason and a route to you desperately always wanting attention, no matter what shape or form, and you're willing to do just any anything, everything. Forget it. You got people dressing inappropriately, uh, harming animals, harming kids, doing inappropriate things to animals and kids, uh exploiting themselves, exploiting others, doing the most heinous quote air quotes pranks. Um, that's just like you're gonna get arrested. Like that it's so like out of pocket. Like my fellow uh Jamaicans like to say, auta a da, right? That's just why what the fuck? But you had to do it because you gotta also record it and show people you did this, and people, it don't matter if it's good or bad, people are looking at it and talking about you. I need to be relevant. What where does that come from? Because I want to feel important. Where does that come from? Are you aware that you're doing this to get that? Why? Oh, I was in a dark place or that. Well, uh, you know, even when I don't know if you guys are familiar with the show Catfish, very it's bittersweet, right? Because it's it's fucked up. Like you're playing with peace people's emotions and people handle that differently. Like you could actually lose your life frigging with people's emotions, right? And then some people are just like you're allowing yourself to get stringed along for so many years. You never got pictures or videos of this person is just pure talking over the phone, they're telling you what you want to hear, and maybe a vulnerable time of your life, they're giving you the attention or affection, something something was a void, something. But if you take the time to actually figure out what that is, maybe you could change how you show up, right? Awareness, but you have to want to be aware. You know, some people are aware but choose to be blind, so there's that, right? Right? So mental health, right? So you can't say that you're aware of certain things happening or X, Y, Z, or aware that this may happen if I do this, whatever the case may be. You can't get upset at the result, outcome, consequence if it's a poor uh choice, right? Right? You're aware that this could happen, but I'm still choosing to do this anyway. Because X, this is the benefit or satisfaction behind this. But if it's negative, then you got to question yourself and wonder why you would very you're you're very self-aware and strategically planning to do something you know you shouldn't do and it's wrong, X, Y, and Z, but you're still doing it and you don't have a reason to do it. And you're aware that this may trigger and cause this effect, but you're still doing it. Like, I'm aware that this would hurt you, or I'm aware that this is not the right thing to do. I'm aware that this is going to throw off your schedule, whatever it is, but you're still gonna do it. Like, you gotta look and reflect back as to why you're doing that without a reason. Like, are you aware that you're doing that? Like, are you aware that you have a pattern or a habit of doing that? Then you gotta question why do you keep doing that? Like, it's levels to this, right? Mental health. Some human beings have lost the ability to interact or communicate with others. Some it was always an issue, and some it has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. So we go back to what I said. Life, if you you had to be there. It was a time, right? You had to be there to experience and see it. 90s, early 2000s, 2000s, millennium, all of that good stuff. Things were safer, things were more affordable, cheaper, people operated differently. You still had your bad, but it wasn't evil. That's all I can say. It was bad. You had your bad, because that's life, duality, good, bad, light, dark, white, black, up, down, east, west. Like that's it has to balance, scaled. You're gonna have good with bad, it comes with it. But it's evil now, evil, right? So we have that bracket, right? That duration of time, and then we have the next set now where a complete shift has happened. And this happened 2020, right? So 2019, no, 2020. So this the COVID was already about in 2019, hence the name 2019. They just didn't make people aware and start really pushing out the widespread until 2020 and start telling people, okay, wash your hands, social dishes, and this whole hysteria. But we know that that was planned, strategic. We we already can't we already know by now, I would hope most know. Like that was a whole setup, but that was. The next catalyst to shift everything. So boom, here we are. Nothing's the same. People, places, things, energy, food, everything shift. People are wicked and evil. And there's not only humans walking amongst us, even though they may look and talk and interact like they are, but they're not. And we're going to save that for another episode. If you know, you know. And I'm not necessarily talking about aliens, right? I'm talking about spirits, energy, like demons, like these people who not necessarily us, right? But disguised and trying to blend in and they study us and try to have the same mannerisms to blend in with us, but to cause chaos. You know, if you know, you know, awareness. Are you aware that this is something that's capable? This is possible. This is happening. Are you aware? Socially, emotionally, mentally, financially. Are you aware? We've all been hit in one or more of those areas as a result of COVID-19. It's still recovery. We're still in recovery. Some people don't realize it, but that was traumatic for everyone. Some people are like, oh, we good. You know, I just lost a few days at work. No, no, no. It affected everyone because one you were once a person that always was outside going to work. And now you have to stay home more days than normal. So now you're realizing, okay, this is the routine at home that I was missing out while I was like everyone was impacted in some way, shape, or form. There's a severity to it. Everyone's recovering to a new norm. How to interact with people again after being on timeout. How to educate. How do kids adjust back after being put on pause? You know, education, like mental health, like it did a number on kids in this country as well, academically, emotionally, mentally. The babies, they were stuck in these homes, sometimes dysfunctional or abusive. Going to school, maybe was their only meal. Thankfully, a lot of them are putting out free meals from certain times where you could get school lunch, you know. Thankfully, they got that. We need more of that. But these kids who relied on school lunch come to school just to eat, come to school just to get a peace of mind, and we were on pause. They didn't learn shit through hybrid. Not a damn thing. I've been noticing in specific neighborhoods more and more and more and more. Just a plethora of homeless drug addicts. The prostitution is coming back up, you know, sex trafficking, excuse me, sex, sex trafficking. It's always blew my mind as someone who has experienced losing quite literally everything except my mind and faith and self-respect. Everything materialistically, and it was rough, but if you want it bad enough, you'll get back on your feet. Sometimes you have to feel a burn. But there are resources available if you're willing. So when you see so much of this happening, you understand why people choose not to be bothered, but at the same time, it's like you can't go somewhere and get resources. You're choosing this. Are you aware of the support and resources? Or like, are you like aware? Yes, I'm aware, but I don't. Okay, so you want to remain blind? Cool. That's another conversation. Anyway, we just having a conversation, right? Be mindful this Monday, be mindful always. Be safe, y'all. Stay prayed and peace out.