This blog was inspired by Dr. Nathaniel Branden’s book “The Art of Living Consciously” which teaches us to be awake about everything we do in our lives. The art empowers us with awareness to transform our everyday life!

I was introduced to Dr. Branden’s work by my doctor who realized I was suffering through series of invalidation in my work life. I was perfectly normal in my personal (at home) life but at work, I was behaving insecure, unsure, lacked self esteem and self confidence because of what my work colleagues were saying about me.

I spent hours and days feeling frustrated. Blaming them for bullying me and taking a foolish stance that they were simply ‘joking’.

Their joking almost killed me. Bullies, I later learned, don’t realize the part they play in destroying a person’s life. My doctor made me realize that in their view, they are perfect. In their view, I am the one behaving like a 16 year old. The fact that they are the ones going around telling whoever that would listen that I am the one with a problem clearly shows their need to prove themselves superior.

People who magnify situations to protect themselves are the ones with low self esteem. Their esteem is what is making them behave “righteous“. The fact of the matter in fact is that they are simply angry or jealous or just plain mad at the world.

My doctor educated me that I cannot change them – because they don’t think they are responsible: For it is my reaction to their actions (even if they drove me to suicide) that is making things so unpleasant for all of us. So the goal was to empower myself with the seeds that were positive in nature—ones that re-affirmed my opionion of me. The goal was to remove all the labels stuck on me by my work colleagues. I had to defy every negative labels they stuck on me because their opinion of me said much more about them than it did of me.

My doctor promised me that if I go through Dr. Branden’s book, I would feel like a different person. 100% thriving and loving life. And that I did. The book helped me raise my self esteem and self awareness to a healthy level.

During this period, I also started looking for other resources that would re-program my mind constantly, with positive, empowering messages. I found this in Brain Sync’s “The Secret Universal Mind” (“SUM”) meditation by Kelly Howell. This meditation changed me overnight! From feeling drab to fab! From slipping into a dark crevasse of something unknown to shooting out under the open skies feeling wholesome and hopeful.

Together, these two resources changed my life. The blog was inspired by Dr. Branden’s book and by another suggestion the Dr. (my doctor) ordered He said, write everything you feel down. It doesn’t matter where – just release that energy. He promised that initially it will be littered with negativity but soon, the message will change – as long as I released the bad and replenished it with the good.

So what is “The Art” all about?
My definition today, of the Art of Living Consciously has been influenced by various teachers of deliberate creation. Teachers who believe everything starts from a thought. Gurus who believe that we have within us—the power to change— our lives, our environment and indeed our world by making proper use of our mind.

The “Art” requires channeling our thoughts closer to our desire - but our desires, without a healthy self image can make it difficult to achieve. A healthy self image stems from a healthy self esteem so in essence if you don’t feel good about yourself (self esteem) you will not belief you are worthy (self image) of all the good out there. And if you don’t believe you are worthy then how can attract that which does not align with your self worth?

Living life consciously simply means that we have decided to live our today ‘awake’. That we have decided to deliberately decide on choices that will create a future that we are proud of.

Living consciously means that we have taken the decision to define the “I” in the term “I am”.

Living consciously means that we no longer have to do, be or have anything that we are not in full agreement with—an agreement that we can make only  when we decide to stop living lives mechanically.

Living consciously means to have the awareness today that will allow us to answer the “why” tomorrow. No longer will we live a life that will result in saying “I don’t know why it happened to me!”. No longer will we lives that will result in us asking “what happened: How did it happen: And where was “I” all this time when it was happening!”

One of the examples I can give you of living life mechanically is where so many people get divorced and feel lost. In fact—my ex-husband was at one time living life unconsciously because to this date, I remember that after our divorce he visited my mother and told her that he had no idea what happened—that he lost not only his wife but his best friend as well—and he didn’t know or understand why! No one should live life that “out of it” that when your spouse starts expressing unhappiness—you just write it off as a ‘phase’ or a ‘tantrum’!

Living consciously means taking a look at the big picture that shows you beyond the “I am”. It means living a life that a part of you—your senses— will tell you when you are neglecting any part of your life and you will understand the signal and act upon it to resolve the unrest.

It means you knowing at all times that just because something looks like a duck doesn’t mean it is a duck! Living consciously means asking the right questions so that you can plan your today in such a way that your tomorrow benefits from today’s planning.

The Art of Living Consciously is making me do, be and have everything that I want – by choices of thoughts I understand, allow and entertain—because today, my allowance is based on my being aware of energies that affect more than me.

The Art of Living Consciously is empowering me (and it will you too) to make choices that turn my ordinary life into something more extra-ordinary!

The Art of Living Consciously will allow you to spread crazy glue behind the labels that identify with the real you so that you can stick them on and never shake them off—especially when others are trying to pull your labels to stick theirs on you!

The Art of Living Consciously will allow you—the inner you—to dream big because your awake self image will tell you affirmatively that you are GOD! You are the creator and the destroyer of everything you allow and experience! You are GOD—because GOD has made you and given you His powers of creation.

GOD has many powers but he decided you can expertly manage to create your own reality. And so GOD bestowed on you the power to manifest your actuality through thoughts! GOD was sure of his decision when he gave you the power and GOD is certainly proud of you today when you say I am not only part of GOD but by the powers bestowed on me I AM GOD of my Universe!

The Art of Living consciously makes you realize how much GOD trusts you and it also makes you aware of every signal God sends you when you need clarification!

Living consciously means being tuned in, tapped in, turned on to the frequency that allows you to know—without a shadow of a doubt—when your actions today are congruent with the future you desire to create!

Living life consciously means to never ever have to say “I don’t know what happened!”