We speak of awakening as if it’s something to achieve.
A finish line. A peak moment. A spark that changes everything.
But real awakening is not an event.
It’s a way of moving through the world.
It’s not what you arrive at.
It’s how you live — moment to moment, breath to breath.
Awakening is not the goal.
The goal is to be awake while you live.
To stay mindful in the small things.
To speak truth with kindness.
To walk gently on the earth, and not just through it.
What you’re looking for does not come in flashes of brilliance.
It shows itself in how you treat a stranger.
How you listen when someone else is in pain.
How you choose silence instead of reaction.
How you hold space for others without needing to be right.
Awakening is not the end of the road.
It is the road.
The quiet, steady commitment to presence.
To being conscious of your relationships — with others, with your surroundings, with the sacred rhythm of your own breath.
This path is not marked by milestones.
It is marked by remembrance.
Of why you are here.
Of who you are meant to be when no one is watching.
Of the potential that was planted in you before you could speak.
To live fully is not to master something.
It is to remember — again and again — the weight and wonder of being human.
To be awake while washing the dishes.
To be awake while forgiving someone who didn’t apologize.
To be awake while holding joy and sorrow in the same breath, and honoring them both.
So if you find yourself asking, “Am I awake yet?”
Let the question fall away.
Instead, ask:
Am I present right now?
Am I living with care?
Am I listening with an open heart?
The truth is, you are not here to reach some abstract pinnacle of perfection.
You are here to live.
To live well.
To live honestly.
To live awake.
And that, quietly and consistently, is enough.