#AtoZchallenge

#AtoZChallenge | Awareness

/ Luanne Shernisky / Leave a comment

A swan swimming with it's image mirrored on the water.
Image by Krzysiek from Pixabay

Awareness is a state of having knowledge or consciousness.

Whether it’s being aware of your surroundings or of your own self, it does take mindful effort. Unlike the Zen masters who are trained to be in a perpetual state of awareness, the average person is not.

That’s mainly due to the disciplined instruction those masters undergo and the lifestyles they lead. I doubt that a day in the life of a Zen master looks anything like ours!

However, we’re all capable of learning to be more aware.

Self-awareness means being aware of your own identity, which is unique to each person. Our abilities, thoughts, and experiences make up who we are and how we see ourselves. Our minds store information about past events that condition how we feel and react to similar things in the future.

It’s important to notice these responses and identify any preconceptions or conditioning. Only then can we make the necessary changes to become more self-aware.

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” ~Abraham Maslow

Psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of the best-seller Emotional Intelligence (EI), believes that self-awareness is the key to EI. Being able to manage our emotions and thoughts as they occur enable us to act consciously versus reacting passively.

Studies have shown that self-aware people are generally more mindful and self-reflective, as well.  

So, how do we become more self-aware? There’s lots of great advice out there, but I found the following items helped me when I was seeking to know myself better:

  • Honesty – It’s crucial to be impartial when doing a self-assessment of your strengths and weaknesses; you must be honest.
  • Journaling – Recording daily events and how you react to them, noting the accompanying emotions. This can help identify reactionary patterns that may need adjusting.
  • Mindfulness in communications – Becoming a better listener to yourself and others. This includes body language and any “automatic” responses…without judging. 
  • New perspectives – The goal is to gain clarity of the relationship you have with yourself and other people.

Know Thyself

The Ancient Greek aphorism “know thyself” is a challenge for everyone. We all possess a particular worldview, shaped by societal factors such as: economics, religion, education level, family size and structure.

Changing that worldview isn’t easy and was years in the making. It took a life-altering event to realize that I didn’t truly know or appreciate myself. The choices I made were based on preconceived notions of who I thought I was. Comparable to peeling away layers of wallpaper, it was a joy to finally reach the real “me.” Unencumbered with the old fear and doubt, I was able to grow in wonderful ways.

I bought the framed aphorism above, which states “gnōthi seauton” (know thyself) and placed it in a prominent spot. This is my daily reminder that self-awareness must be ongoing in order to live an authentic life.

And anything less than authentic is phony.

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A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal | Mindfulness

/ Luanne Shernisky / 2 Comments

ThemeRevealIt’s that time of year again… for the A to Z Challenge!

For those of you new to blogging this is an annual event held every April and challenges us to write daily during the month.

The letters of the alphabet correspond with the days of the month: A with April 1st, B with April 2nd, and so on. Sundays are days off and not included in the schedule. 

The challenge is to write thematically to the day’s letter. There’s plenty of flexibility and room for creativity!  See all the details and sign up here.

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I attempted it last year, but stopped at letter G when my beloved kitty suddenly became ill with feline leukemia virus. I discovered that she had it when I adopted her and because there is no cure, I swore I wouldn’t let her suffer. So, within two days of the positive test results I took her back to the vet and said goodbye. My heart was broken and the desire to write was gone. 

My post for the letter G was already written and published. It talked about the importance of Goals. Knowing that I wouldn’t finish the challenge I wrote a second G post about Grief. And that’s all I felt for a long time.

My overarching theme last year was Intentional Living. This year I’ve decided on Mindfulness. While there is some overlap between the two, intentional living is any lifestyle based on an individual or group’s conscious attempts to live according to their values and beliefs.

The definition for mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

I’ll write about subjects that correspond with the definition and practice of mindfulness, since that is the overall theme of my blog.

If you’re looking for a way to blog more regularly and need some prompts and/or inspiration, the A to Z Challenge might be just the ticket! 

A to Z Challenge | Intentional Living | G is for Grief

/ Luanne Shernisky / 3 Comments

10th Anniversary Blogging From A to Z April ChallengeI’ve already written a post for the Letter G, but today I’m posting it again for a different reason.

Today it represents the Grief that fills my heart as I prepare to say goodbye to my beloved Kitty. She’s taking her mid-morning nap on our bed like she does everyday. She’s probably glad to be feeling better thanks to the palliative care the vet gave her two days ago. But, she has no idea that it’s temporary and that today is her last day.

She came to me 15 months ago on a cold, windy January night. As I moved about the kitchen I heard something else besides the wind. I stopped to listen. It was the unmistakable sound of meowing. Then I saw movement outside the window. With the back porch light on there was the silhouette of a cat through the window blind. She was crying frantically. When I moved to another window to get a better look, she moved along with me, jumping up to the next window. She was following me!

I managed to coax her inside and made a very quick trip to the store for food and litter. I set her up in my office, but she was skittish and hid behind a piece of furniture. I stepped out of the room and she immediately came out and headed for the food. Anytime I came back in she would dart back behind the furniture. It took three days of giving her space and speaking softly from the doorway before I could enter the room without her hiding. On the third day I got down on the floor and calling her “Miss Kitty” I encouraged her to come over to me. She walked hesitantly towards me and upon reaching where I was patting the floor, she head bumped by hand. And that was it. We were buddies.

I called the local animal shelters because I was convinced she belonged to someone. Her coat was gorgeous and she didn’t look like a scrawny stray. After two weeks of no news I gave up and happily claimed her as my own. We had already formed a close bond and I knew she trusted me.IMG_4091

We became fast friends and quickly developed a daily routine. I covered my bed with an old sheet so she could sleep with me. In the early mornings she’d walk on the pillow above my head and chew on my hair. I learned that this is a sign of affection. She would play on the bed with her toys or chase her tail, which provided material for hilarious videos. I would hear her downstairs meowing loudly as she approached the stairs, bringing me an “offering” of her favorite ball. But, I knew she needed to see the vet, so I scheduled an appointment after another couple of weeks. 

It was there that I learned the bad news. She tested positive for feline leukemia. There is no cure and they said the life expectancy of feLV cats is low: 85% die around the three-year mark. Most people won’t adopt these cats and when they come into shelters they’re euthanized. Yes, there are exceptions and I thought by providing the best possible care in a non-stressful environment would add some years on to her life. There was no way I could end her life while she was still in good health.

I made sure she had her shots on time. Despite becoming an indoor-only cat, she got regular flea and tick protection. She ate high quality food and drank bottled water. She got her nails trimmed regularly. I set up bird feeders outside the large windows in what became Miss Kitty’s room, formerly the office. She had a ball watching the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks from her cat tree. She had balls and toys and pretty much everything she needed. Except for a cure. I was determined to do everything I could to keep her healthy for as long as possible. 

I have so many happy memories of our brief time together and it gives me pleasure, yet hurts so much. What I wouldn’t give to have another five or ten more years with her. She’s a beautiful cat with a wonderful disposition and doesn’t deserve what is going to happen later today.

When I had to put down my dog of 17 years in 2000, I swore I’d never have another pet. It was just too difficult to say goodbye. It took me 18 years to take a chance on another animal, this time my sweet girl. I’m angry that we only had 15 months, but I believe she found me for a reason. She needed a loving home to live out her remaining months. I’m grateful they were with me. 

It will take some time to heal from this loss. I’ll see her everywhere I look in this house. I’ll listen for her sounds 100 times each day and it’ll hurt over and over again. But, it’s the price we pay for love. And despite my broken heart, it’s worth every penny.

The difference between friends and pets is that friends we allow into our company, pets we allow into our solitude. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com