The Prowess of Conscious Actions

As we say we are conscious or aware, we are saying that we are "in the present moment." Being in the present means the mind is not wandering in the past or future but it remains attentive, alert and aware in the here and now.

Imagine drinking a glass of water by gulping the water down or taking the time to sip the water slowly. We could either think of other things while drinking or we could give complete attention to its taste and feel the water flowing down our throat. You may try this the next time you have a drink. You could realise there is a complete difference in the way you feel, doing it mechanically and being completely attentive. We feel the change in the quality of our actions as we gradually practice being conscious.

Conscious actions bring us to the here and now. Our mind remains alert, attentive and aware. Alertness, Attentiveness and Awareness help us to be fully responsible for our actions. Have you ever parked your car, come home in a rush, take a quick shower and then before dinner start thinking about where you left your car keys? You start searching for it everywhere and later find it on your sofa. You start recalling that you actually dropped your car keys on the sofa after reaching home, while your mind was thinking about the meeting that took place at your office that morning.

Our mind is a pool of thoughts that are always wondering in the past or contemplating about the future, which makes us lose the moment of being in the here and now. We tend to be less alert, attentive or aware in our present actions when our minds are constantly tossed around in the past and future. 

Though, lessons from past and foresight for future are imperative to craft our daily actions, being present in the here and now is important to ensure we achieve a sense of totality in what we do and be fully responsible for our choices, decisions and actions. Hence, our goal is to be as conscious as possible, to achieve a better quality of living.