"The Art of Living Consciously: The Power of Awareness to Transform Everyday Life," Nathaniel Branden challenges his readers to turn up the light of consciousness, explaining that consciousness exists on a continuum, and our choice is between living more or less consciously. Consciousness is our basic tool for successful modification to reality. The more conscious we are in any situation, the more possibilities we tend to notice, the more options we have, the more powerful we are, even the longer we will live. To deny oneself of consciousness is to live unconsciously, "in a life drained of color, excitement or passion." Living consciously means seeking to be aware of everything that abides on our actions, purposes, values, and goals; …show more content…
Branden 's facility in explaining these subjects is inspirational; he has many visions into the subject matter, and it is often enlightening to see how he introduces these ideas to the inexperienced. Chapter two explains the free will as a function of mental focus, the fact that context determines what level of focus is appropriate, how one learns to run some activities on automatic and the motives for fleeing focus. Branden 's technique of sentence completion, familiar from his previous works, is also explained here. Chapters one and two are the basis for Branden 's theory by exploring the nature of human consciousness and its suitable association to reality. Chapters three and four describe in detail the meaning of full consciousness and its connection to happiness. Chapter three takes up the need to consider the consequences inferred in one 's actions, the need to consider the knowledge required for success, and the need to cope feelings that pull one away from focus. Chapter four first deals with areas that one must bring consciousness, including romantic, familial, and professional relations, and then with the need for a consciousness of one 's context and ideas. Chapter five strains the importance of directing awareness toward the details of one 's "inner world", the body, needs, wants, emotions, and actions.
The book contains a series of breakdowns of thoughts, outlooks, and emotional schemes. There are numerous exercises that help one to come to terms with issues relating to the various chapters the book contains. Some are more specific than others and require serious dedication to exercises, such as writing letters to your inner child, some are different tasks than others such as clearing your mind and imagining good in a specific person. As I
In the essay written by Joey Franklin, the author exposes his own internal conflict, as well as the existing prejudice against fast food restaurant workers. The work is well developed, with the use of witty diction and tone, in addition to the appeals to rhetorical devices.
To live deliberately is to study one’s self, and live with purpose and intention. Living deliberately means living consciously, we should attempt to learn everything possible from our environment and the people around us. Living deliberately is the opposite of living passively. One must realize they have the choice to do as they please at any given moment and must not live out of habit. Making active decisions is a key defining point of living deliberately. Into the Wild’s Chris McCandless lived deliberately by living on the edge of society, gaining new knowledge from nature and the people around him, and fulfilling his overall purpose with a simple life.
First and foremost the beginning chapter, the book speaks of their experience and what lead them to a search of happiness and meaning in life. During this search, his friend issued him a challenge to research accurate and logical claims of Jesus Christ proving that he is God’s son. Proving that he occupied a human body living amongst men and women and he died on the cross for the sins of humanity as well as being buried and resurrected three days later. Overall this book discusses the answers to the questions many have on the hunt for happiness: Who am I? What is my purpose? What is my destiny?
of the meaning of life. It works together with self -actualization, a level of psychological
In the research novel, “Keepin’ It Real” written by Prudence Carter, a large group of African American and Latino students are asked questions and are shadowed to better understand the culture and the struggles they face every day. The students are asked questions about their family and their opinions on life. Carter shadows them from time to time to experience what they do to get a better understanding of their life and struggles. Based on the research of Carter, African American and Latino youth struggle to achieve the “American dream”.
BibliographyBooks1.Burt, C. (1962). The concept of consciousness. British Journal of Psychology, 53, 229-2422.Carlson, N., & Buskist, W. (1997). Psychology: The science of behavior (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
I believe that existence is comprised of hundreds and millions of different realities intermingling and colliding into one another. I also believe that at the center of each reality there lies the individual who crafted it. Our perception of what is real and false exists solely in our own minds, and our minds are what determines the lense in which we perceive the world. Our perception is largely influenced by our psyche; how we live and think stems from our perception of the world. Our brains are directly influenced by a number of key factors, including but not limited to; societal connotations, individual experience, instinctual desires, environmental factors, and cognitive thought. These factors, as well as other conditions, are what determine our “default setting.” In his noteable “This is Water” speech, given at the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address, David Foster Wallace argues a similar idea as he explains his take on the phrase “teaching you how to think”. Through his use of relatable parables and anecdotes and repetition and reverent focus of words like “choice” and “awareness” he paints a livid picture of the use of conscious choice in our daily lives. He stresses the concept of a self centered “default setting” that comes from an individual's “blind certainty” and the repercussions that deferring to that default can have on an individual's lifestyle and fulfilment. If we are unable to recognise the water in which we dwell we will always remain unaware, stuck in an
There are certain things that are in the control of the humans, at the same time there are several things, which are not under the human’s control. Thus, to persist a happy life, the humans are required to put an end their desire such that the satisfaction of
At the same time, we have a need for positive self-regard - to develop a sense of trust in the accuracy and reliability of our own inner experienced, it is on this we must depend if we are to become independent from and able to make good decisions about life and how we are to be in it.
To understand and attain knowledge is a key factor in achieving happiness. However, in order to pursue happiness, one must understand the implications of knowledge and understanding as because reality is all about what we make of
Human beings have a need for self-actualization that involves growing towards courage, kindness, knowledge, love, honesty, and unselfishness. When we fulfill this need, we feel serene, joyful, filled with zest, sometimes euphoric, and generally happy. When we act contrary to our need for self-actualization, we experience anxiety, despair, boredom, shame, emptiness and are generally unable to enjoy ourselves. (Singer 327-328).
“enhancing self-awareness, recognizing values of ‘congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding’, self-responsibility, understanding one’s feelings, awareness of one’s own perspective, being open to experience, being rational, living a fuller life, positive life-direction, acceptance of one’s and other’s uniqueness, prizing one and others, and living a moral and ethical life” (pg. 343).
This part will discuss self-awareness and continuous self-development through analyzing a number of prior researches, then come up with the link of them to support my role as a manager in the future.
Consciousness: Awareness about the action takes place and also applies the moral principles on daily basis.