Fifth key to conscious communication: Noticing your state

As David Hawkins says, human consciousness is innocent. In other words, no matter what emotional state we’re in, we believe ourselves, and have difficulty accessing other states. If we’re afraid, we see everything there is to be afraid of, and can pull up memories of what has frightened us in the past. If we’re angry, we tune into all the things to be angry about.

Because of this challenging aspect of our human software, it’s essential to be able to discern through what state we are filtering our current view of reality. Once we’ve nailed this down, we have the power to potentially change that state, or at least to choose not to behave from it.

Here are some signals that your body will give you about what emotional state you’re in:

1) Your sensations. If you have contraction in your jaw, neck, arms, or lower back, you may be angry. Tightness in your throat or chest could mean sadness. Fear might show itself through a queasy stomach or tight solar plexus . A sense of movement or energy through your whole body might be joy, aliveness, or sexuality.

2) Your thoughts. Thoughts are a wonderful indicator of your emotional state, if you choose to pay attention to them. Judgment is often a sign of fear; blame could be fear or the anger of not getting what we want; the helplessness of “this will never work,” or “life is hard,” could be indicators of sadness.

Taking the time to notice your emotional state gives you the space to give it the attention it seeks. Once you bring your state fully into your awareness, it can begin to shift and expand. Ultimately, you’ll be communicating from a place of openness, appreciation, and love.