Being Conscious

We are often advised to practice qualities which make us more considerate and likable such as being kind, humble, fair, modest, competitive and mindful. But we often find it difficult to inculcate these behaviors in our day to day life.

So how can we be conscious at each step of our life? I believe a small step at a time can go a long way in achieving these habits.

For me being conscious while shopping was the first habitual change towards being conscious. Recent studies have indicated that the average number of use for apparels have reduced to only 10 times. ?I believe a small change of buying clothes only when it is required can help us save money and earth’s resources & to arrest this problem.

Another area where we can make a contribution without much hassle is travel. This is something that Japanese people practice in their day to day life. While using escalators, they will use one side of the escalators to stand while the other side is kept free for people who are in a hurry.

I am sure all of us have picked up coins from roadside but at the same time we are hesitant to pick up a pen or a notebook. This usually happens because our mind is trained to assign higher value to currencies. Though it is difficult to pick up things from road & bring them into our homes, we can at least try not to throw away items which can be readily reused like envelopes and wrapping papers.

We would certainly not add more salt to our food just because it is cheap. Similarly, we should not give in to every temptation of ours to overeat at every occasion as it takes a heavy toll on our health in the longer run. One way to control this temptation is to eat light before going to any social gathering.

We also have a habit of buying latest gadgets and store them with great pride only until we buy the next gadget. Most of the times, these gadgets are not our needs but merely short term wants. A better way to deal with this impulse buying is to sleep over the thought before you actually buy it. Many of the times you will find that you would end up not buying it at all.

In conclusion, these small steps towards being conscious have the capacity to bring in positive energy in our lives by allowing us to be more considerate, caring and humble towards people, society and our environment.

Note: This article was first published in ICSI Bhayander E-maganize July 2021 edition.