The Seven Levels of Awareness

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Peter

There are seven levels of awareness. These categories are areas in your life that if shaped correctly, will directly result in an improved quality of life. We will describe each level and how it relates to your ability to reach your goals. They are: Animal, Mass, Aspiration, Individual, Discipline, Experience and Mastery. Let’s take them one at a time.

The Animal level of awareness centers on your fight or flight response. This is an instinct that is in response to external stimulus. There is not a whole lot of thinking involved here, or none at all actually. You are relying on your physical senses. You are reacting rather than responding. You may do it in a more elegant way than an animal, but you experience the same basic animal reaction to things. If your natural reaction to any sort of resistance is to cower and quickly relieve the tension by compromising your ideas, this will have a prolonged effect on your well being.

Let’s take a scenario of turning your annual salary into your monthly salary. You think: “Wow, that would be fantastic! What a great idea.” So the first thing you do is you go to your spouse and explain your idea. Your spouse likes it and you feel relieved. You weren’t too sure about this new idea that you had been toying with so you feel as though you’ve dodged a bullet by getting an initial positive reaction. “That’s great, my spouse supports me.” Well, then as you are telling your wonderful new idea to a friend, you notice a skeptical look come over his or her face, which becomes more cynical as you continue. Your enthusiasm in now beginning to wane and by the time you are done talking, you are starting to doubt yourself. The anticipated first words of their response come in the form of a sarcastically delivered: “Good luck with that.” Now you are thinking: “Well yeah, it was probably a silly idea anyway.” And so you back off and you lock that dream away and go back to doing the same old thing. What you have just experienced is a flight response to criticism. The first sign of difficulty and you fled.

But if you believe in your ability and you believe in the possibilities of life, there is no reason why you cannot achieve this goal. Your reaction was an automatic interpretation that happened instantaneously, without you having to think about it. If you had your ideas and beliefs rooted strongly, and you were instinctively willing to defend your ideas, your reaction would have been to fight. I don’t mean you would have taken a swing at your friend for daring to disagree with you, I mean you would have fought for your idea by sticking to it and putting it into action. There are certainly instances where your flight instinct will be right, but by realizing the possibilities for you in this life, you will not so quickly discount things that although they may be difficult to achieve, are in fact entirely achievable and definitely worth pursuing.

The second level of awareness is called Mass. This means not really thinking and just blindly following the crowd. You are born into this world as a unique individual, but raised into conformity. The moment you become aware of the value of your uniqueness, is the moment you can bring value and great things into this world. We have touched on this notion previously, but it certainly bears repeating. If you let others decide your future, you will likely only realize an average future. The people that are willing to let their unique ideas flourish in this society are the people that lead the most fulfilling lives. Do not be so quick to let what is the most popular idea and the most agreed upon solution be your guide.

Mark Twain poignantly scribed in a notebook that, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” Or in this unsent letter to a friend, “When you set aside mere names and come down to realities, you find that we are ruled by a king just as other absolute monarchies are. His name is the majority. He is mighty in bulk and strength…he rules by the right of possessing less money and less brains and more ignorance than the other competitor for the throne, the minority. Ours is an absolute monarchy.” Mark Twain, the brilliant writer and consummate thinker, had a way of colorfully illustrating a point, which could not be more evident in the context of the majority as we relate it to the mass level of awareness.

Aspiration is the third level of awareness. We are speaking of the desire to be, to do and to have more—but never do! Desire without action. In this category we find forever dreamers. They dream and yet their dreams are never internalized to the point where they translate them into action. Remember when you were in school and rather than paying attention to your teacher’s lesson on the branches of government, you were staring out at the nearby football field and dreaming of playing in front of thousands of screaming fans someday? Suddenly, your teacher snapped you back into reality: “Stop daydreaming and pay attention!” While I can appreciate the frustration of your teacher in trying to educate you while you were off in another place, there is nothing wrong with having dreams.

Daydreaming, however, automatically seems to suggest that there is no reality attached to your thoughts. Well, for most people that certainly holds true. How do you turn your passion into prosperity? Action! You must get the wheels in motion and realize that without action, you have no positive results. Make no mistake, you will get results without action. Just not the results you had intended or that you desire. There are positive results and there are negative results, but they are results just the same. It starts with a thought, but action is the key ingredient that turns your vision into tangible positive results and a life of fulfillment.

The next level of awareness is Individual, where you start to express your uniqueness. There is only one of you with your specific potential. Your potential is unlimited, but is also specific to you. Someone else has a differing unlimited potential specific to them. Realizing this fact is where the breakout starts to form. Remember the conscious mind and the subconscious mind? Well, this is where you begin to use your conscious mind, your thinking mind. Here is where you begin to question the present. “Is this all there is?” This is where you start wondering what you want in your life. “Wouldn’t it be great if…?” Right now your life may be on automatic pilot. You may be just going through the motions. The same routine, day in and day out. And you begin thinking: “Is this how it should be?” Well the moment you realize that you are unique, that your unique thoughts and contributions are essential to this world, is the moment that you can begin to achieve great things.

Discipline is the fifth level of awareness. In this case, we are not talking about a form of conditioning or punishment. We are concentrating on the ability to focus on your goal despite distractions and competing influences. You must use your will to keep out the distractions. And when someone or something knocks you down, get right back up. Keep moving forward. Keep growing. Follow through. I don’t know to whom this quote can be first attributed, but remember, “God’s delays are not God’s denials.” You must be focused and disciplined in your approach, but do not give up because the road is not always smooth and easy to navigate. You are going to encounter some rough terrain once in awhile, expect it, but your ability to show discipline in the face of inconvenient and difficult circumstances will set you apart. You always have room to analyze your situation as you go along, and interpret your results, but staying disciplined will enable you to gain momentum and avoid being thrown off course, or coming to a screeching halt.

The sixth level of awareness is the all-important Experience. There is a substantial difference between learning and experience, studying and doing, and preparing and executing. To learn something is often to be based in theory, while to gain experience is to have acquired real world applications. Let’s say I was to tell you that it gets hot in the summer in Phoenix, Arizona. You could appreciate this fact and be able to understand that the temperatures in that area exceed those in other areas. Okay. Fine. Now compare that to having actually gone to Phoenix in August when the temperature was 117 degrees. When you come out of your air conditioned hotel room in the morning, you are hit with a blast of air that makes you squint and makes you stop in your tracks. When you get to your car, the door handle is so hot it literally burns your hand. Your flight home is delayed because it’s so hot that all of the planes are grounded. So, when you call your spouse to explain that you will be home late because it’s hot in Phoenix, which party do you think has a more in depth understanding of the temperature in Phoenix? That’s experience.

When it comes to life, there is no substitute for experience. Getting involved, taking action and taking part in this world is an exciting, valuable and fantastic journey. You can be book-smart and there is nothing wrong with extensive study, but you have to get out there and experience life. You can do all the preparation in the world, but as important as preparation is, you have to make things happen. Experience is a tremendous way to improve your overall awareness. As you experience things, you will see new opportunities that had been previously hidden. Learning to apply experience will set you apart and take you further in your quest for a life of fulfillment.

The last level of awareness is called Mastery. This is the point at which you truly begin to respond. You are no longer controlled by habit. You have mastered your paradigms. You use your intellectual faculties to control your thoughts, and thereby your actions, and ultimately your results. This is what you are striving for. Mastery of your mind is the way in which you will be able to reach the pinnacle of life. When you finally are able to overcome your fears, you will quickly begin to see signs of progress toward your goals. Your subconscious mind will not be filled with doubt, but with optimism and possibility.

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The Behring-Breivik Trial

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Peter

The Behring-Breivik trial starts on Monday April 16th. ¾ of a year with speculation is over. What will this bring? What will he say? well, we know he will plea Not Guilty. Stating that he acted in self- defense, not that he was threatened there and then, but on a far broader level; the muslim invasion and multi-culturalism.

This is of course way beyond any person’s, except him, sense of justice. As far as we know, he shows no sign of regret. From his perspective he did what he had to do. He says this was a necessary call of action.

He killed 77 people. Most of them at Utøya, at the start of their lives. It is tragic.

Most of us of course think he is insane, not necessarily in the legal term. But will anyone in their right mind do something like this? NO! So this is an insane thing to do. He was high on steroids. That made him “tougher”.

There has been two psychiatric reports. The first stating he was insane; schizophrenic; the other one that he is sane, though slightly narcissistic.

I think most of us want to get over and done with this trial. He will be sentenced. Will he appeal? Is there a possibility there will be another round in the court system? Whatever happens, it is naive to believe that this case will ever finish.

Books and articles will be written. Debates in the media. Documentaries made. Interviews. Speculations. Will he ever come out of jail? Can I meet him in the street?

Some have said this man and his actions cannot change the Norwegian society. Rubbish. He has already done so. His mere action did that. Will we transition into another type of society? Right now we’re in a limbo. We have been there since July 22nd in the afternoon. Time will show whether this, on a national level, is for better or worse.

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The Carrot, the Egg and the Coffee Bean

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Peter

A lot of people perceive these times we currently have as difficult, and many experience or fear adversity. In most instances fear does not become a reality, but still we fear or feel worried. As it is, 95% of all our worries and fears never become reality or are solved long before there is any real need for worry. Having said that, it is not easy to keep your thoughts straight and think of possibilities and at the same time being so bombarded with negative worst-case scenarios. While I was at university and we were heading toward exams we kept telling each other: These times are sent to try us and we shall probably emerge as nobler souls from the experience. I think that is something we can tell ourselves today, or whenever there is a situation of actual or imagined adversity.
Nature has a fine tuned hand with corrections. Mankind regard it as catastrophes, but from the perspective of Nature it is as it should be, all to create development. Create or disintegrate. We are part of Nature’s equation and the economic turmoil we experience now is probably just a correction, a severe one, yes, and if it ends up in a double dip it will be even worse, but still a correction, and from that will grow something new. These are truly transitional times.

I found this story written by a seemingly unknown author. In my opinion it is a great metaphor well worth reading and contemplating about, a good pause for thought. Here’s the story:

The Carrot, the Egg and the Coffee Bean.

A young woman went to her mother to tell her about her life and that things were hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem piled up over the other.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots were boiling. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she said: “Tell me what you see.” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked her daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma and then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Who are you? Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did you have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have you become hardened and stiff? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside you are bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases its fragrances and flavors. If you are like the bean, when things are at their toughest, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?

So, how do you handle adversity? Are you a Carrot, an Egg or a Coffee bean?

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How do you activate your will?

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Peter

When working with young people that need to get back on track because they are drop outs we often say their will is aching. They cannot start on anything because they don’t know what they want to do, they cabbnot plan more than a couple of says ahead, so when I ask what they think they do in three or five years’ time, they just look at me with their empty sight and think I am from another planet. How stupid can you get asking such a question?

i try to tell them they have to set their sight on something and walk in that direction. The Cat in Alice in Wonderland says something like: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there”. This has some depth that not all juveniles catch. Very funny. Did a cat say that?

Sarcasm aside.

I have come to some sort of conclusion that the will, this wonderful intellectual faculty that we have won’t work if we don’t have a goal. The goal is what activates our will. The will takes us through fire and water, in pursuit of our goal.

Have you ever been madly in love. Thought of what that does to you. You’ll do anything to the one you’re in love with, or to please him or her.

If you can mobilize the same feelings toward a goal, that will be the spark that ignites your will. You’ll become unstoppable.

These 20-year-olds don’t have goals. That’s the problem. That’s why they are at a stand-still. Whatever road they’re taking is unfortunately not the high road.

I am working hard to make them realize this.

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Rough Times are Good Times!

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Peter

You know something? Transitions can be rough. Or at least they can be perceived as rough. In hindsight at least. When you’re in the middle of it I appreciate that it is hard to think something like “These things are sent to try me and I shall probably emerge as a nobler soul from the experience.” That’s probably what will happen, but it’s hard to take in when you’re in the middle of it. It’s more like why does this happen to me? Why did I take on this encounter that turned out much harder than expected? And so on.

Price Pritchett in his booklet You² also talks about how it feels when you are abut to make a quantum leap, it actually feels quite rough. That’s when it is time to keep going and sometimes just close your eyes and “jump”.

The good thing is that we actually learn something from this whether we like it or not, whether we realize it or not. And whether we want it or not. Of course we don’t have to use the acquired knowledge for anything, that’s an other thing. It would be wise to do, though.

So when you know what you had, things are rough around you and you have no idea about the possible outcome that lies ahead, then I realize it’s easy to give in. But don’t. You will emerge as a nobler soul from the experience. You will.

That’s why I ask you to embrace any transition, however rough you may feel it is. It will make you grow into something better and more fulfilling. That’s what life is all about isn’t it?

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