Have you ever just sat down somewhere – a park, a café, a beach – and simply watched people? Not judging, not analyzing, just observing.
One warm August afternoon, I did exactly that.
I sat outside with my notebook and a cup of coffee, and what unfolded before my eyes was like a moving art gallery of humanity – young and old, confident and shy, polished and messy, joyful and exhausted.
Some were laughing loudly, others looked as if life had drained every bit of color from them. There were moms trying to match the energy and style of their teenage daughters. A few people so sunburned it almost hurt to look. Some scrolling endlessly on their phones, others completely present in their conversations or simply watching the world like I was.
It struck me: we’re all walking stories – shaped by experiences, wounds, and dreams we may never speak aloud. And yet, most of us are too distracted to really see one another.
So many thoughts went through my head that day, and the following days, so I decided to turn them into a 5-part blog series inspired by that warm August afternoon. This is the first one.
From Looking to Seeing
That afternoon reminded me of something profound: There’s a difference between looking and seeing.
Looking is surface-level. It’s passive. It’s what we do when we glance at someone without presence – when our minds are elsewhere.
But seeing – truly seeing – requires awareness. It asks us to pause, to notice, to feel the subtle energies around us. It’s the act of being fully here, without judgment, without agenda.
It’s in that space that life becomes rich with meaning.
Understanding the Mind–Body Connection: The Stick Figure Concept
One of the most powerful teachings I’ve learned – and one I often share in my coaching – comes from Bob Proctor’s Stick Figure, a simple yet profound model for understanding how our mind, body, and senses interact to create our experience of life.
If you imagine a stick person, you’ll see two main circles:
The upper circle represents the mind, divided into the conscious mind (the thinking, reasoning part) and the subconscious mind (the emotional, habitual part).
The lower circle represents the body, which is the instrument of the mind – it acts on the instructions your subconscious receives.
Now, think of your five physical senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.
These are how we interact with the physical world. They constantly feed information to our conscious mind.
But here’s where awareness comes in: When we live only through our five senses, we’re looking – reacting to the outer world.
When we activate our higher faculties – like imagination, intuition, perception, reason, and will – we begin seeing from within.
This shift from looking to seeing moves us from the outside-in way of living (reactive and unconscious) to the inside-out way of living (intentional and empowered).
Why This Matters
Most people never realize that their body is simply expressing the programming of their subconscious mind – which has been shaped by years of sensory input, repetition, and conditioning.
When you become aware of how your mind and senses work together, you begin to reclaim your creative power. You start to see rather than just look. You begin to notice how your paradigms – the patterns running in your subconscious – influence how you perceive and respond to the world.
And that’s where transformation truly begins.
When Awareness Meets Observation
As I observed, I noticed my mind starting to label people – “too loud,” “too tattooed,” “too revealing,” “too serious.”
And then it hit me: those thoughts weren’t about them. They were reflections of me – my conditioning, my filters, my preferences.
That realization stopped me in my tracks. Because conscious living isn’t about changing others; it’s about noticing your own thoughts without attaching to them.
When you start practicing awareness in simple moments like this, something magical happens. The world softens. Judgment turns to curiosity. Frustration shifts to compassion. And suddenly, you’re no longer living life on autopilot – you’re awake.
Conscious Living Begins with Presence
If you think about it, most of us rush through life doing instead of being. We scroll, react, compare, and perform. But presence – true awareness – starts when we stop doing for a moment and just see.
That day, sitting there among strangers, I felt a sense of peace that no phone notification or to-do list could give me.
And I realized – the art of seeing is the beginning of conscious living.
Your Reflection
Here’s a little experiment for you this week:
Find a place where you can simply observe life – a park bench, a café, even the beach. Put your phone away. Just see.
Notice the diversity. Notice your reactions. Notice how quickly your mind labels – and how your heart feels when you simply let it all be.
Take notes if you want to, and reflect on your observations. Feel free to share your insights in the comments below – I’d love to read them.
Awareness doesn’t begin with grand meditation retreats or silent monasteries. It begins right here – in the small, everyday moments when you choose to be fully present.
Final Thought
When we learn to see, we learn to live.
And when we learn to live consciously, life starts reflecting back more peace, joy, and abundance than we ever thought possible.
This is the art of seeing – and it’s the first step toward a more conscious, empowered, and compassionate life.
Next post in this series:
“Living on Autopilot: When Life Becomes a Loop”
– a deep dive into how we unconsciously repeat patterns and how to break free.
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DISCLAIMER:
Individual results will vary, and results are NOT guaranteed.
Hey Eva,
Thank you for sharing this.
Appreciate you.
Have a great weekend.
Best wishes,
Delroy M.
Hi Delroy,
Thank you so much – it’s always wonderful to see your name pop up here. I truly appreciate your ongoing support in the Soaring Alliance Lounge, reader of Eva’s Echo, and beyond.
I’m glad this post resonated with you! Was there a particular part or insight that stood out the most? I’d love to hear what connected with you.
Wishing you a fantastic weekend as well! 🌿
Warmly,
Eva