Driving Through Life While Intoxicated by Unawareness

One path leads to more wounding, the other to liberation.

It’s incredible how often our lives are shaped by unconscious reactions. Even the reactions we do notice can often go unchecked — we rarely see the limitations they create. From these reactions, we often generate thoughts that we then use to justify our behavior and emotions. Instead of learning and growing from them. Reactions are also known as triggers, and they reveal areas of ourselves that are emotionally wounded. The emotions we feel when triggered are there to teach us about ourselves, and when the lesson is learned, they are processed by moving fully through our system.

Many of us make decisions rooted in fear, anger, or frustration — emotional states that narrow our awareness and collapse are access to choice. Instead of responding with clarity, we often react from a place of survival, repeating patterns that no longer serve us.

Awareness offers us the opportunity to pause, reflect, and choose consciously. When we understand the origins of our emotions, we tap into a deeper kind of power — the kind that enables us to approach life from a grounded, authentic place.

Two paths within: One clings to pain, the other learns to release.

Social norms often discourage authenticity. We’re wired for connection, yet so many of us hide who we are to gain acceptance from others who are doing the same. This collective inauthenticity creates internal resistance and limits our true expression.

Imagine if, for just one day, we all lived from truth. We’d see that everyone is hiding something — and beneath those masks, we’re far more alike than different. Ego resists this sameness, needing to feel unique. Yet, the energy we spend pretending is energy we could use to move freely, like releasing the emergency brake on a car.

Despite all of our advancements, many still operate from a survival mindset. We know more than ever about psychology, trauma, and human behavior, yet awareness often lags behind knowledge. Without awareness, we cannot access the wisdom that is available to us.

Self-discovery begins with awareness — for our personal growth, and for the benefit of all. Most of what drives us was formed in childhood, often before age 25. These early experiences shape our beliefs and behaviors long after we have forgotten their source.

We move through life in predictable patterns, unaware of how much control we’ve surrendered to the stories we inherited. Even those with some awareness often lack the distinctions and tools to break free from those illusions. It is not enough to know; we must feel.

Unless we wake up to this — unless we become aware — we live out a scripted future, repeating emotional loops so reliably that someone who knows our triggers could orchestrate our reactions.

Awareness isn’t about being right or better — it’s about reclaiming our ability to choose. Living without it is like being drunk and thinking we can drive, while anyone observing can clearly see we are best not to.

Becoming aware is like sobering up in a bar you can’t leave — and realizing most of the room is still intoxicated, convinced they’re thinking clearly.

Inhale presence. Exhale distraction. The breath is your gateway to now.

If we agree it’s unsafe to drive under the influence, can we not also agree that it’s dangerous to move through life unaware?

One of the best ways to cultivate awareness is through the practice of meditation. Meditation also strengthens our ability to focus while giving us deeper access to our deepest self. Start by connecting to your breath with deep inhales and slow exhales. It's ok to get distracted as long as you remember to come back to your breath time and time again. Resting yourself in the forever now. For further support, you can incorporate a mantra to keep hold of your focus and then, breathe.