Awakening: The Heart of “Kensho”

By Susan Steinbrecher.

The times are strange and out of joint. It’s in the air. We can sense with disquiet that the balance of things is shifting. Even the weather seems disordered and in flux. The old order is faltering, and we look at the world around us with alarm and confusion. Many of us feel weary and overwhelmed, unsure of how to cope with everything that’s happening.

Often the path to positive change comes through a crisis. When our lives are spinning out of control, we finally pay attention. While no one wants to endure these hardships, if we use this time as one of learning and awaken to the clear realization of what’s truly important in life, maybe we can get back on track.

I believe that it’s critically important for us to change our perspective in order to see the world and ourselves in a new light. The practice of self-reflection allows us to gain insight into our own lives and enables us to lean into this time of upheaval. Some of us are even finding ways to embrace it. We’ve come to be grateful for the challenge, seeing it as an opportunity for growth, acquiring new skills and developing new talents. We’ve begun, in fact, to live life like it’s a momentous occasion of wonder.

Ask yourself this question: what do I believe? Have your beliefs allowed you to acquire a positive view of the world and your place in it? Or, are your beliefs rooted in negative thoughts that hold you back from real happiness? If the latter is true for you, you’re not alone.

Over a lifetime, we accumulate memories and experiences that can do one of two things. They can be a comfort to us and propel us on in this life with hope or they can hold us back and prevent us from achieving true contentment. It’s not easy to redefine what we believe. The very act brings into question all we think, feel, and are. But if we don’t pause and reflect on our beliefs at regular intervals throughout our lives, we can lose perspective – and peace of mind.

All it requires is a little time and the willingness to look at who we are, where we’ve come from, and how we wish to move forward. The secret is to believe in our potential, to be fearless about discarding the old, limiting beliefs that imprison our minds and to hang on to the beliefs that empower us and set us free.

When I work with clients, we uncover their particular belief systems. Our prevailing beliefs or what we refer to as “mental models” are there, waiting to have light shed upon them. Only by examining them, fully understanding their impact and becoming conscious of how our belief systems affect our behavior, do we have any real chance to change them. And yes, we can change them. Once we come to understand the impact of limiting beliefs, it is easier to change them – and be free to walk with buoyant steps as we proceed on our life’s journey.

In my new book KENSHO: A Modern Awakening, Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal, I present some of the many ways to incite positive change and the myriad reasons for harnessing optimism. I’m thrilled to have unearthed the stories of some of the many remarkable people around us today who awaken us with their transformative vision.

Now it’s your turn… I want to hear your stories. Do you have an inspirational story of change and transformation? What was the pivotal point that led you to shift a limiting belief? Let us know at steinbrecher.com and enter our “Awakenings Contest” for a chance to win a weekend stay in a Presidential Suite at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center – plus plenty of other great prizes from the esteemed experts that are featured in Kensho: A Modern Awakening.

My sincerest wish is that you may be inspired to discover what is at the heart of Kensho: a joyful awakening to the interconnectedness of all beings in the world and the marvels that lie within our very selves.