WHEN A CONSCIOUS DECISION UNCONSCIOUSLY CHANGES YOUR LIFE
Empower Your Living
June 4, 2025 · 8 min read
June 4, 2025 · 8 min read
Sometimes we believe we’re making a decision with our mind — carefully weighing pros and cons, feeling into the “right” path. But what if that decision wasn’t just yours? What if it was a quiet nudge from your soul, setting you on a path your conscious mind couldn’t fully grasp yet?
One conscious choice, aligned with your deeper truth, can awaken unseen forces — guiding you, reshaping you, and leading you to a life you didn’t even know your heart was dreaming of.
The most powerful shifts often begin in silence and intention.
In this article, we’ll explore how conscious decisions become sacred turning points — and why trusting these moments, even when they stir up chaos, is part of your higher unfolding. Ready to meet the version of you that’s already waiting on the other side?
Waking Up: What Consciousness Really Means
Before we dive deeper, let’s talk about this mysterious thing we call consciousness. What does it actually mean to be conscious? Is it just being awake and alert — or something more subtle, more powerful?
How do you recognize it in yourself? And what if most people are living on autopilot, mistaking reactivity for awareness?
Consciousness is one of those words that sounds super lofty but actually shows up in very real, everyday ways.
At its core, consciousness simply means awareness — being awake to what’s happening inside you and around you, instead of running in automatic mode.
When you’re conscious, you’re actively witnessing your thoughts, emotions, choices, and experiences — instead of being swept away by them. It’s the difference between eating an ice cream without noticing vs. savoring every bite, feeling the texture, the flavor, the softness, the experience.
What Consciousness Entails:
- Self-awareness:You know what you’re feeling, thinking, and why you’re reacting the way you are.
- Presence:You’re actually here — not lost in past regrets or future worries.
- Intention:Your actions come from a clear place, not just habits or reflexes.
- Responsibility: You realize you have choices, and you own them instead of blaming life, fate, or your boss.
How Consciousness Comes Across:
- It often feels like a slowing down inside, even if the outside world is hectic.
- There’s a soft but firm clarity: “I see what’s happening. I can take my time. I can choose my response.”
- You notice more details — not just outside (colors, smells, words people use) but inside yourself (tiny feelings, subtle shifts, quiet intuitive nudges).
How To Recognize Consciousness In Yourself:
- You catch yourself before reacting in an emotional way (e.g. anger or fear).
- You sense that your choices are aligned with your deeper values, not just surface wants.
- You feel connected — not in a fluffy sense, but like you’re standing in your own shoes, living your life, instead of sleepwalking through someone else’s story.
- You’re able to witness your inner drama without believing it.
Melukat — a Balinese cleansing ritual of the mind, body and spirit
Consciousness isn’t about being “perfect” or walking around in a Zen bubble 24/7. It’s messy, it’s gritty. Sometimes consciousness means you’re painfully aware of your fears, your contradictions, your mess — and that’s a win. Because once you’re aware, you’re no longer a puppet of your old patterns. You’re in the driver’s seat, you get to call the shots — even if the ride gets bumpy. And it will! Until you master riding the waves of life.
In short: consciousness is the first real freedom you get.
Let Me Share Some Snippets of My Personal Journey
I was a vibrant and outgoing child. Talking to complete strangers wasn’t scary for me — it was pure fun. (It still is.)
Luckily, my parents never tried to quiet me down or make me feel wrong for being that way. They let me be me. Today I know how much that freedom shaped my character and the person I’ve become.
But being so outgoing wasn’t exactly helpful trying to find my place in a society that values reservation, politeness over honesty, and blending in rather than standing out. I often felt out of place and had no idea why.
Adolescence and early adulthood were tough. My impatience often led to emotional outbursts — exhausting for me, and probably even more so for the people around me. Especially the ones closest — my parents. Needless to say, that didn’t help me find the place that fit meany better.
Back then, words like mindfulness or consciousness weren’t part of everyday vocabulary, at least not for regular folks like we were. So, I simply went about my life — stumbling through it, feeling like a pink zebra in a world mostly painted in gray.
Be yourself. Never dim your light just because others aren’t ready four your brightness.
Then, in the fall of 2003, seemingly out of the blue, I realized something needed to change. Drastically. If I didn’t want to end up a nervous wreck — unhappy, restless, stuck on a constant emotional rollercoaster — I had to do something different.
I had already tried autogenic training, but all it did was put me straight to sleep. (Not exactly the goal.) So I started looking into yoga. I didn’t know much about it — just a vague idea and big hopes that it might help — but I signed up for a local community course.
Luckily, the teacher I found wasn’t overly esoteric — a huge plus for me. (Straightforward and honest talk has always been my thing.) I loved the sound of her voice — soothing, grounding. The postures were simple enough for a beginner like me, and they helped me reconnect with my body in a way I hadn’t ever felt before.
Every Tuesday evening after work, I showed up on the mat. That simple practice became my safe haven — a place where I could meet the rambunctious child still alive inside me, and where I slowly learned to love myself.
What started with a spontaneous but very conscious decision to find more calmness within me ended up changing my life forever. Unconsciously. Yoga became my outlet — a way to come home to myself.
About four years into my weekly classes, I started practicing at home. When life threw its hardest blows at me — losing both my parents within 14 months — my yoga mat was the place where I could ground myself and find shaky balance in the chaos. (More on that part of myjourney in my book — see Notes.)
In 2010, I went on my first yoga retreat. I was flabbergasted to discover that “yoga vacations” even existed — and I was hooked. For a few years, I made it a ritual to go on at least one retreat a year, deepening my practice and my connection with myself.
More than just yoga: it’s a journey of learning, connection, and cultural discovery
Eventually, I became a certified 500-hour yoga teacher, with trainings in Costa Rica and Bali — places where my spirit could breathe deeply. Especially the training in Bali gave me more insights into who I was. And some connections exist to this day.
Today, I still practice daily. It sets the tone for my days — calm, grounded, happy, and grateful. My own practice has softened over the years: more flowing, more connected to my body and emotions, less about the perfect pose, more about listening to what my body needs.
And it all started with one small, conscious decision — a decision that, without me knowing it, would transform my entire life.
Becoming a conscious being doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, commitment, and a whole lot of patience to gently shift your mindset. Even when you are fully committed, there will be days when you feel like throwing in the towel — when the journey feels like an endless uphill climb on a rocky road. Trust me, I’ve been there.
If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, right? But here’s the thing: if you stay on the path — navigating the bumps, detours, and breakdowns — something incredible happens. One day, it just clicks. Suddenly, it all makes sense, and you know deep in your bones: this is the only way to live.
All it takes to get started is a conscious choice. Just one. The rest? You take it moment by moment — flowing with the good, the messy, and everything in between.
I’d love to share one simple practice that can kickstart your journey toward a more conscious, vibrant, and full life.
How To Train Your Consciousness?
Let’s be honest: most people spend their days half-asleep — lost in thoughts, to-do lists, and mindless scrolling. But real change, real life, only happens when you’re actually present. Stepping outside your comfort zone is not easy but it’s where true magic happens.
Magic is happening everywhere.
Do this simple but powerful exercise several times a day to train your consciousness right in the middle of real life.
The One-Minute Awareness Reset
Goal: Train yourself to drop into full presence anytime, anywhere — even in the middle of chaos.
How it works: Several times a day, you take just one minute to fully experience your current moment through your five senses.
- Pause for 60 seconds. (Set a timer if you want — it makes it feel more “official.”)
- Focus completely on your senses:
- Sight: What colors, shapes, and details do I see around me?
- Hearing: What sounds can I hear — close, distant, soft, loud?
- Touch: What can I feel — textures, temperature, pressure against my skin?
- Smell: What scents are in the air, even faint ones?
- Taste: Is there any lingering taste in my mouth?
Important:
- Don’t analyze. Just notice.
- If your mind wanders, gently pull it back to your senses.
- No need to make it special — you can do this while washing dishes, standing in line, or sitting at your desk.
Why it works:
- It yanks you out of your racing mind and grounds youhere and now.
- It strengthens the “observer” muscle — the real foundation of consciousness.
- It trains you to find presence in the middle of normal life, not just on a meditation pillow.
Bonus Tip:
If you want to supercharge this: after the minute, ask yourself,
“What’s different in how I feel now compared to one minute ago?”
This tiny reflection locks in the impact and makes you crave more conscious moments.
Personal Opinion:
This is the sneaky ninja move for consciousness. No one around you even knows you’re doing it. You’re not “taking a break from life” — you’re slipping deeper into life, one minute at a time.
It’s like an inner rebellion against sleepwalking through your day.
This tiny practice might seem simple — but don’t underestimate its power. The more often you drop into presence, the more you train your nervous system to feel safe, steady, and alive in the now.
Remember: awareness isn’t a destination. It’s a choice you make again and again.
And it starts with just one minute.
Ready to go deeper? In my book “EMPOWER YOUR LIVING: Creating a Life of Ease, Abundance and Joy” you’ll find a treasure trove of exercises — from yoga and breathwork to mindfulness practices and meditations. Think of it as your personal roadmap back to yourself — to more clarity, freedom, and flow in everyday life. (See Notes to grab your copy.)
Image by Andrea Rufener Photography / www.andrearufener.com
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
Email: barbara@empoweryourliving.com
Instagram: @empower.your.living
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