Awareness can be a trap

Each month I begin my Love Letter transmissions with an “alchemical attunement”, aimed to inspire a shift in perspective. May we see all our challenges as GOLD, so that we can expand into our highest potential on the wings of gratitude for all that we’ve been through thus far.

Today in the laboratory, our work is to transmute awareness into awakened action… because without action, awareness is a trap.

I know, I know. Awareness is a trap?

Sounds like spiritual heresy, right?

Hear me out, Kate.

Every true spiritual practitioner knows the value and virtue of awareness.

I’ve been saying for years that awareness is the first step to transformation.

And there lies the hint…

Awareness is the FIRST STEP to transformation.

It is not enough only to cultivate awareness, and then cease all other movements toward evolution.

And my friend, that is the trap of which I speak.

Many heartfelt, devoted, well-meaning spiritual seekers unknowingly get stuck in the seductive, unsuspecting trap of awareness.

You know something needs to change, such as… 

👉 Mindless overeating that makes you feel heavy, lethargic and out of control.

👉 Getting completely dysregulated every time a money-related issue arises that you don’t prefer.

👉 Procrastination and paralysis when you want to submit an art proposal, apply to grad school, pitch your dream client or launch your reinvented website.

You’re aware of the resistance, and the obvious fact you haven't yet taken action.

And because you know the merit of celebrating even the tiniest wins, you congratulate yourself on the increased awareness you have around the fact you want to take action but haven’t yet… 

You breathe a bit easier knowing that at least the awareness is there.

So you must be well on your way to completion and success… 

Right?

Right?

…

Awareness becomes a trap when we do not follow it up or support it from every possible angle with action.

Specifically, I call this “awakened action.”

It is “awakened” action because the action is informed precisely by the awareness we receive on a given subject.

Ironically then, I might call this trap of awareness a state of slumber. According to the Oxford Dictionary, “aware” (adj) is defined as “having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.” So perhaps we could say that having awareness without taking action is similar to the quality of awareness we have while dreaming— clearly, part of our psyche (our subconscious) is aware of what’s happening. But our conscious, active volition is sleeping. We can’t take real action until we’ve woken from the dream.

The etymology of “aware” is from the Old English gewær, meaning watchful, vigilant, wary or cautious. We can see here that while no action is implied though these meanings, there is an underlying connotation of caution. 

Awareness is meant to point us toward something… 

Truth. Clarity. Right action.

Sometimes, right action is non-doing. Sometimes, right action invites us simply to pause, observe, and practice patience.

And sometimes, right action invites us to catalyse our awareness with choice and movement.

I’ve watched friends, clients, and myself at times, get stuck in this trap. It’s painful to witness, because it usually leads to a deflated sense of indifference that stops any positive change in it’s tracks.

Today, I invite you to be bold and investigate where you might be stuck in the awareness-trap. 

Here are a few softly-illuminated lanterns to coax you out of the danger zone and into awakened action.

 ✨Alchemical Assessment ✨

Where do you currently feel stuck? 

Pull out a journal or word processor.

Write down any areas of health, money, work, home, relationship, and personal/spiritual growth where you desire change.

From the list above, choose one place where you feel stuck. 

What are you aware of regarding that situation? What are you doing well and what would you like to do differently to more successfully navigate that situation?

Finally, write down ONE awakened action step you are able and willing to take to move you toward a desirable outcome.

Now, go take that step! If you can’t attend to it right now, schedule time for it by putting it on your calendar, setting a reminder, even asking a friend to check in with you about it.

✨Alchemical Affirmation ✨

I am never actually stuck— it only feels that way! 

Today, I choose to alchemize my awareness by taking one awakened action step toward the best and highest outcome.

Beloved, I’m holding a prayer that you and I don’t fall prey to this spiritual trap.

I’ve seen again and again how this trap leads to stagnancy… and worse, to complacency.

Any repeated action— or in this case, inaction— becomes a habit. A disempowering and inaccurate belief that you aren’t capable of taking action soon becomes a cement pathway in your brain. 

Let’s not become complacent in our own mediocrity, okay?

Take awakened action that sprouts from your ever-increasing awareness, and rest assured that change will blossom.

Your legacy is inevitable. One day, one choice, one step at a time. 

In your corner,

PS. how does this land? Are you caught in an awareness-trap you can identify? Hit reply and let me know, because action is the antidote 💥