Consciousness Is Awareness of Who You Are

“Remember that your perception of the world is a reflection of your state of consciousness.” — Eckhart Tolle.

I have been thinking a lot about consciousness lately.

Humans are the only living species to be known to have consciousness, and we’re the only species who can choose to live a spiritual life.

The ability to be present and being conscious of who we are is the essence of life. Do you think a dog knows he’s a dog, a pet, or that he belongs to the Canis lupus familiaris in the animal ecosystem?

I bet he doesn’t, but we do.

As per Scientific American, “consciousness is awareness of one’s body and one’s environment; self-awareness is recognition of that consciousness — not only understanding that one exists, but further understanding that one is aware of one’s existence.” Another way of thinking about it:

“To be conscious is to think; to be self-aware is to realize that you are a thinking being and to think about your thoughts.”

But what if consciousness is this awareness itself?

You’re the Consciousness

The utter awareness of ourselves is the consciousness that we try to find out in other places. As a self-love practitioner, I have spent a lot of time solitude in self-awareness and understanding what makes me me.

• the awareness that’s you and I are here for a reason
• the awareness that you are unique
• the awareness that you are here
• the awareness that you matter
• the awareness that everything you’re looking for is within
• the awareness that you’re a conscious being

According to the modern spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle — “You are not in the now;’ you are the now. That is your essential identity-the only thing that never changes. Life is always now. Now is consciousness. And consciousness is who you are. That’s the equation.”

Your awareness makes you conscious, and your consciousness makes you who you are. Instead of finding the meaning of consciousness, I have lately learned to be aware. Because when I am sill and conscious, that’s when I am truly being myself and living life at the fullest at that very moment.

I Am Consciousness.

This story is based on the weekly prompt — “I.”

I want to thank Darshak Rana for building this community to share our thoughts on spirituality and uplift each other to become higher-conscious beings.

What is consciousness for you? Tell me in the comments.

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