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The Newsletter for the Entire Essence Community
25W330 Geneva Rd., Carol Stream, IL 60188

We all know the difference between being sleep and being awake, right? We have had enough of both of those experiences to confirm our knowingness of the difference between them.

But do we all know the difference between being awake and being conscious? Being asleep and being unconscious?
Being conscious is powerful power and a constant peace; being awake is overpowering powerlessness, and a constant struggle. When we are “just” awake, we are overpowered by the powerlessness of our sense of survival and duty, what needs to be done right now to ensure basic existence. Being awake we are selfish and short-sighted, limited and linear, aggressive and addicted, overwhelmed and overbearing, forgetful and fatigued, both closed and narrow-minded. But when we add the element of being conscious to our waking state, that is when we become selfless and of service, compassionate and companionable, aware and atoned, ourselves and observant, omniscient and objective, concerned and committed, goal and group oriented. An awake person says, I have the money for a Hummer, so I’m going to drive one; a conscious person will say I am lucky to be so financially prosperous that I could buy a Hummer, BUT I know that Hummers are huge pollutants and destroy the environment so I am going to choose to buy a Smart Car or a Hybred instead. There is an old saying, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” and in that catch phrase lies the difference between being conscious or just awake. Being conscious means we reflect upon “the should vs. the can” in every thing we do, breath, think, and say before we act. Being conscious means we are in line with our destiny and personal divine purpose, as well as far-sighted for the long term, group collective, environmental and animal kingdoms. Addictions are part of being awake, kicking the habit is part of being conscious.
Being asleep and being unconscious are also two different states of being. When we are asleep, our bodies gain a deep state of rest which allows rejuvenation and detoxification to occur. We are close to wakefulness, there is awareness, and our senses still produce a response. Just ring a loud bell near someone who is sleeping and you will see them react. If you are sleeping and someone throws you in a pool you will wake up, struggle and swim to safety. If you are unconscious you will inhale water until you drown. When we are unconscious, we are not able to utilize our senses to respond. When we are unconscious and just awake, we are so far below being conscious it takes a great act or event of some kind to raise us up.
The three levels are:
UNCONSCIOUS—BASE SURVIVAL, PURE NARCICIST, NO FREE WILL
ASLEEP – SOME REST, SOME AWARENESS, NO “ME” PRESENT
AWAKE—SOME AWARENESS BUT MOSTLY SELFISH
CONSCIOUS- AWARE, SELFLESS, GLOBABLLY CONCERNED
Mostly we jump between these states. There have been examples of avatars (the incarnation or manifestation of a higher or supreme being) who were conscious most, if not all of the time they spend(t) here on earth. Mother Theresa was conscious; Ghandi was conscious; Martin Luther King was conscious; Krishna, Buddha, Christ, were all conscious

However, the ability to remain conscious is a continual growing effort. Once a bit of light enters the mind, once you are made even the slightest bit aware, that little bit will build upon itself and more and more of your life will become conscious. You will no longer be able to dump your garbage out your car window, because you are aware of the polluting implications of that action. Little bit by little bit you grow.
Once that little bit of light enters, that is where our free will really takes off! Once we know, then we must decide, “do I want to buy the Hummer?”, “will I wait for a garbage can or will I just throw my garbage out the window?”. We have choice and that is the pivotal element around which our growth revolves. Constant choices between selfish narcissism AND/OR selfless altruism beset us each day. Some days we choose to be giving and selfless; other days we fall prey to base survival instincts.
HOW? How do we, once that little bit of light enters, remain conscious? The now moment is the answer. If you can remain still for one single solitary moment; take a deep breath and pause, you will see your choices clearly as well as their repercussions and then you can act based on an informed choice, not a base response or desire. ACTING instead of REACTING is the method of continued growth towards more and more continual conscious consciousness and the key to acting instead of reacting is the MOMENT!
Take a moment now! Breath deep and take a look at whatever opportunity for growth is right in front of you, a nagging neighbor or a cranky child, or a bullying boss, or a dragging-their-tail driver. You have the choice to be conscious even if the action/reaction is only in your mind. Some situations really only affect us, i.e., yelling at another driver doesn’t do anything to them, but it does raise your stress levels. Choose to see the situation in a more conscious light, it is a choice. Maybe they are driving slow because they have a sick dog laying in the back seat and so they drive slow to protect him from falling off the seat. Whether the situation involves another directly or not, you are in control of choosing your body chemistry, your actions, your thoughts, your response, your speech.
Being conscious a little at a time, adds up. One day you will be more conscious while awake, more conscious while asleep, even more conscious while unconscious and being conscious is pure joy. Just look at some of the conscious avatars and notice that their joy radiates out through their eyes and is evidenced in their actions, in their speech, in their very presence.
Waking up is not enough!! We have been awake for a while, just look at the industrial and technological revolutions. However, look at the destruction and pollution from them as well and that is proof that those revolutions came at a price of being just awake and not conscious. Now we must become conscious! Become conscious for yourself, your family, your home, your neighborhood. Stop and don’t yell, respond, react, buy, eat, just because you can. In the moment, the all powerful moment, take a breath, become conscious and choose whether you should.

 

EQLC Mission Statement

The purpose of the Essence Quality of Life Center is to awaken each individual to their own internal wisdom, whether by touch, by word, or by community participation, thus releasing more vital energy and improving the quality of their ife.