So, just what do we need to do to change? Well, the first step to change is awareness and this will be the basis of this post. Sure, we can debate whether or not awareness is actually the first step but the point is that it is important to possess awareness if we want to change. If we are not aware of what needs to be changed, how shall we change?

Awareness is important for a couple of reasons. As I just mentioned, we need to be aware of what we want to change so that we can change it. Usually we do not want to change that which is good about us, but rather we wish to change that which we do not like about ourselves. These traits or behaviors that we wish to change may in fact be considered as bad by us or society or perhaps what we wish to change is just something that we don’t like about ourselves and may be neither good nor bad. Either way, awareness of what we wish to change is necessary.

Awareness is also important because many times we change just by becoming aware. For example, let’s say that you have an intimacy problem, of which you are not yet aware, and it has affected all of your close personal relationships. Every time you start to get very close to someone you begin to act differently, all of your faults begin to appear which ends up costing you the relationship. This is just a summary, of course So, you think maybe you need to talk to at therapist because for some unknown reason, you can’t maintain a close, healthy relationship and when you’re in one, you’re not happy. You start talking about your childhood and your relationships with your mother and father and through your talking and your therapist’s help, you become aware of the nature of these relationships and the feelings that they caused you then and now. You also begin to become aware of just how the relationships with your parents affected your relationships as an adult. Aah, you begin to see the connection very clearly and you find that your next relationship is different. There is a sort of freedom from the typical faults that used to arise in your relationships. And when you do notice any unhealthy behaviors, you can talk about them, because now you are aware of why you think and act in such ways, until finally, you learn to how to choose healthy people in which to have a relationship and how to have a healthy relationship with them. Sure, there will be some practice necessary to begin to have lasting, healthy relationships but the bulk of the change occurs as a result of simple awareness.

Here’s another quick example of how awareness can facilitate change. You get gas at the same gas station every week. You know there is another gas station across the street behind the trees but you’ve never gone there. One day you notice that the trees were cut down and now you can get a better look at the place. Wow! You notice that the gas is 50 cents per gallon less over there. It is a beautiful gas station, a good brand name and just across the street from the one where you normally get gas. Now that you have become aware of the cheaper gas across the street, does it really take much effort to change stations? The main reason for the change in gas stations will be the awareness of the lower price. Now that you are aware, it is difficult not to change.

So, you see, awareness is a key component to change. Sometimes awareness of the way things are is obvious and sometimes it takes some digging. But is important to be aware of the way things are, including us, not only so that we may change but because there is truth in awareness of the way it is and living true beats living a lie. We see the world and ourselves differently through our awareness and because of this awareness we are now different…we have changed.

Tags: Awareness, Behavior, Change