It was my senior year of high school and this night I would never forget.
Have you ever had such a long day, by the time you got home in the afternoon you wanted to just pass out? Same here. So that’s exactly what I did. I got home at 4pm and fell asleep around 4:30pm and slept all the way till 6:30. Am or pm?! Good question. I woke up in a panicked state because my first class was at 7am and I knew I was going to be late. I rushed to the shower and got dressed the fastest I ever have in my life. As I am running towards the front door, I see my dad looking at me from the living room, yelling, “What are you doing?” I told him I was running late to a class that I couldn’t be late for. He responded, “Devin, it’s 6:30pm. Dinner is almost ready.”
[ Insert unaware face of me looking like an idiot ]
My head kind of hurt as I looked dumbfounded across the house, WHAT?? I looked back again at my watch and sure enough it was the same day. I slept so hard that I was convinced it was the next morning. I know, I know, how stupid. On the other hand, I was pumped dinner was almost ready and I still had a whole night of sleep ahead.
The reality of this situation, whether you can relate or not, plays a lot bigger role in our life than we may think. I’m talking about the sense the awareness. Sure, the example above may not have happened to you. But in that moment, it was as real as ever to me that it was 6:30am, even though it was really 6:30pm. Have you ever found yourself somewhere, doing something, and realized, “how did I get here?” or “why am I doing this?”
When we least expect it, we can become the least aware.
I am curious to know how many things pass by me on a daily basis that I am unaware of. The older lady walking down the street with the widest smile on display as a reminder that happiness is real. The spritely barista as they craft your coffee with care. The struggling coworker that could use some assistance in accomplishing a project. There are so many things happening around you, at all times. Can you see it? Are you intentionally aware?
The more aware we become, the greater impact we will be able to make in our lives and those around us. It is true that practice doesn’t always make perfect, but intentional actions do lead to intentional results.
Awareness is a skill that needs to be intentionally practiced.
After all, the most successful people are those who strive to make the people around them better. One of their secret ingredients is awareness.
Success is a result of repetition, intentionality, and awareness to drive performance. Both for you and those around you.
How aware are you?
