We cannot really be present, we cannot really be awake, unless we recognize that Life is a Whole, a circle, an infinite cycle. This means that we can’t ignore the things we don’t want to deal with, sweep things we’re afraid of under the rug, avoid the tough stuff, distract ourselves from the challenges. We can’t because they will inevitably cycle back around and surface back up.

BUT we also can’t beat ourselves up when we fail. After all, as my favorite aunt used to quip, “We haven’t ascended yet!”

So to BE awake is to be, in each moment, as awake as we can be. To keep waking up. To notice when we are drifting off more quickly. And when we have fallen asleep, to wake ourselves up with kindness and compassion and then keep waking up.