There is no intelligence involved in being aware and so in this respect we’re all over qualified

It came about, not so long ago, that I moved to a quiet part of the country. I can’t even claim that this was any kind of conscious decision, I just knew that change was needed, as my life had come to an end. My business was concluded; time to run.

It’s purely an observation to say, when time moves slower in certain parts of the country, or whole countries and cultures for that matter, those who have lived faster lives by comparison will feel over qualified

So many of us are driven by our intellect and beliefs in success, and when we’re told to slow down and distance ourselves from the methods employed by others, it proves difficult. It’s the city banker or politician who meets the Buddhist monk. Never the twain shall meet. And the question is: how do we create a culture of awareness?

Perhaps it helps to separate the monk from mindfulness and the guru from awareness

I feel this is easily achieved. In the same way the over qualified, who move to quieter parts of the country, must learn to stoically compartmentalise, we can separate what we normally associate with meditation, mindfulness and awareness. In exactly the way mindfulness teaches us to become aware of our thoughts, we can question any of those old associations.

It’s a hindrance for me to think about how others want to run their business. Instead I understand my responsibilities and never step beyond this

It isn’t me that loses out through my silence. After all, as the wise man said: “those who know don’t talk.” What I know of human nature is, if a job has been done a certain way for a long time, who am I, or any outsider, to question those methods. And so we no longer need the guru or the monk to teach us how to be aware. Those times are gone. Just remove your preconceived ideas, close your eyes, notice the chair beneath your body, your feet on the floor, and pay attention to your breathing – your point of focus. Notice your thoughts, become aware, and bring your mind back to point of focus, once again. Remove your intellect. Emigrate to a quieter country. You are aware.