Awareness

With Oprah and Eckhart Tolle's record breaking web event on A New Earth, much energy is focused on Awareness. There have been times where I've been ranting on about something and suddenly I hear myself and note, Wow, I sound really bad! That's awareness or our thoughts which are part of our ego that tend to have a life of their own! I want to live my life aware of the good and the negative thoughts I have so that I can catch myself and change the patterns that don't produce positive results in my life. Meditation helps me live more intentionally so that those negative patterns come to my awareness more often. Notions about the world, people and myself that developed as a child might not serve me well now. Getting up in the morning and taking the time to stop and look out the window at nature and count my blessings set the intention for the day. Even when the events of the day get off track, I can stop and take a few minutes to recollect my peaceful intention and change the course of the day. Me influencing my day, not life taking me over, that's how I want to live. How about you? What are some ways you live intentionally and with awareness?