Comparing Data to Internal Awakening
Comparing Data to Internal Awakening
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We have many ways to tap into what’s going on internally in our biology and neurology. It can become overwhelming with all the data that is out and about to help us get a better handle on what’s actually going on within us, but sometimes this amount of data can be a trigger that excites one, often with anxiety and fear. We can think of fear as an acronym for false evidence that appears real! I suggest that instead of always using data to learn more, which is good, I’m suggesting balance.
Think about a retreat, or a vacation, where you intentionally step away from all the data tracking to awaken another way of listening. For a period of time, you decide to let go of the constant data checking, just like a retreat to reset and rest from whatever the data can trigger, especially if the numbers that are arising can trigger the negative with worry and fear. Maybe it’s one of those times your nervous system is giving you a pause from being flooded with information. You are alive, okay, and able to rest from all the data for a while. Now, personally, I love data, but everyone needs a pause from the habitual and maybe chronic checking. You’ll be okay with a little reset, like a vacation from constant monitoring.
The question becomes: is data running you, or can you pause, reset, and return to learn and listen at a deeper, subtler level, learning more about yourself? I often share how significant the subtle is. Learning to listen to subtler indications is important, and it’s a skill we all need to hone. This doesn’t mean you don’t return to the data; rather, notice if, after a pause, you have learned more about how to listen and trust, then return to have the data confirm. It’s not an all-or-nothing choice, but a learning process: can you assess what the data is sharing to help you recognize if you can begin to sense and feel yourself, and then the data validates?
“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, but it empties it of its strength.” – George Seaton Bowes (19th-century clergyman and author)
Learning is an ongoing process; we’re never too old to learn something new, compare habits, and make updated choices moving forward. It’s about our attention and awareness, tuning in instead of tuning out. One author whose novels and writings I love, though his personality wasn’t to my taste, as he was rather opinionated and judgmental. I still love what he had to say in his writings. One subject he focused on was divination. While the practice often involved rituals, the occult, and the supernatural, its real purpose was to answer questions, guide better decisions, and explain the past while considering the potential of future events.
“An act of pure attention, if you are capable of it, will bring its own answer.” – D.H. Lawrence
I share his words to show his ability to find answers within. It’s also our awareness that awakens and helps us follow internal sensations, a form of intuition to continue to learn, process, and move forward. At his time, there was no external data to tell us what was going on within us. He describes this tuning in as pure attention.
“The aim is to create conditions under which learning takes place, and in which a person feels free!… Through awareness, we can learn to move with astonishing lightness and freedom at almost any age.” – Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
I hope I’ve earned the privilege of your time and attention this week, and I welcome your responses.
Warmest,
Peggi
