“The night is the darkest just before dawn. But keep your eyes open; if you avert your eyes from the dark, you’ll be blind to the rays of a new day…So keep your eyes open, no matter how dark the night ahead may be.” – Hideaki Sorachi
Have you heard about being the observer? What is it? Simply paying attention to yourself, what you do and say. I say simply, because when you start to develop this new approach it is easy. Until then, it may appear to be a challenge. It is the most fantastic habit to develop because it transforms the way you see yourself and the world.
What does being the observer have to do with dawn?
I have been on an incredible self development journey that has transformed my understanding of critical life concepts. I can’t help but to wonder how our world would be transformed if these concepts were taught at all levels of education.
Through this journey, I am becoming a better version of myself, by actively seeing and hearing my thoughts and actions to life situations. Did that sound, strange? We all have thoughts that we don’t express verbally. I am learning to improve my awareness of those thought and replace the ones that are not productive with better thoughts.
Did someone make you upset yesterday, last week, or this month. What was your reaction? Did your reaction benefit both you and the person in a tangible way? This amazing journey with like minds is helping me to find better approaches to less than desired experiences.
One reality that I have faced, and you will when you start a similar journey, is the “obstacle course”. I call all the events, conversations, demands on your time that challenge your commitment to self improvement, the “obstacle course”. Often, these challenges keep coming to the point where an internal decision is made to defer your transformation. I have faced this with vigor on this journey.
So I think about dawn, and know that in-spite of how dark it appears, I lean into what comes next. On this occasion, I will keep going, knowing that the light is near, and with light, a magnificent breakthrough. For on this journey, I have the support of a community, and a firm desire to “persist until I succeed”.
Wow, Theo. So wonderfully imaged as waiting for light to break through. I especially love your ending that brings in our work of the last few weeks. “…know that in-spite of how dark it appears, I lean into what comes next. On this occasion, I will keep going, knowing that the light is near, and with light, a magnificent breakthrough. For on this journey, I have the support of a community, and a firm desire to ‘persist until I succeed.’”
Thanks, Theo, for relaying to us the nuts and bolts of your new thinking! 🙂