Awareness as Power: The First Step to Reclaiming Your Life
Aug 25, 2025Six seconds.
That’s how long it takes for your brain to emotionally react before you’re even aware of what’s happening. Six seconds where your body races ahead, your heart shifts, your thoughts spiral — and only then do you notice. The truth is, most of us live in those six seconds on repeat, reacting more than choosing.
The Hidden Cost of Unawareness
Think about how many days you’ve lived on autopilot. You wake up, scroll your phone, rush through your routine, check boxes at work, come home drained — all without really being there.
This is for the ones who’ve felt disconnected from themselves. For those who realize hours, weeks, or years slip by in a blur. For the ones who push through stress signals until their body πͺ breaks down, who ignore the quiet whispers of the heart β€οΈ until relationships fray, or who silence their spirit π₯ until life feels flat.
Unawareness steals agency. Without awareness, we can’t choose differently. Without awareness, we’re passengers in our own lives.
My Story of Waking Up
I know this state well. There were seasons in my life where I was “doing everything right” on the outside but completely asleep on the inside. I pushed myself to work harder, achieve more, stay busy — but I wasn’t aware of what I was running from.
The Tiger in me craved control, structure, and order. π But the Phoenix in me whispered that something deeper was missing — a connection not just to what I was doing but to what I was being. π₯ποΈ
Michael lived this too. During his athletic recovery, he realized awareness wasn’t optional. He had to become aware of his pain signals, his emotional state, his habits, even his thoughts about success and failure. Without awareness, he risked slipping back into self-sabotage. With awareness, he gained agency — the power to respond rather than react.
The Shift: Awareness as Agency
Awareness is the first domino in transformation. It doesn’t solve everything, but it makes change possible. Without it, nothing shifts. With it, anything can.
Here’s how The Five Pillars of Tiger Resilience connect to awareness:
Purpose π― – Awareness of your deepest “why” makes every choice meaningful.
Planning πΊοΈ – Awareness of your patterns allows you to anticipate and prepare for challenges.
Practice π – Daily awareness practices (breathing, journaling, reflection) help you stay connected.
Perseverance ποΈ – Awareness keeps you grounded in setbacks, showing you lessons instead of only losses.
Providence π – Awareness of the present moment builds trust that each step is guiding your path.
When you align awareness with these pillars, you stop drifting. You start directing.
Phoenix Steps: Practicing Awareness Daily
π₯ Step 1: Pause before reacting. Take one deep breath before responding in conversations or decisions.
π₯ Step 2: Body check-in. Ask: “What signals is my body sending me right now?”
π₯ Step 3: Emotional labeling. Instead of saying “I’m fine,” name the real emotion: stressed, tired, hopeful, anxious.
π₯ Step 4: Reflect daily. End your day with one journal line: “Today I noticed…”
π₯ Step 5: Choose with intention. Before acting, ask: “Is this aligned with my values or my autopilot?”
Roadblock
π« The trap: Mistaking awareness for judgment.
Awareness is not about shaming yourself when you notice something. It’s about seeing without instantly condemning. The Tiger finds clarity in what is real, not in what is ideal. The Phoenix discovers freedom by rising from what’s noticed, not from what’s denied.
The Four Domains of Awareness
Body πͺ – Awareness means tuning into tension, fatigue, or hunger before they turn into burnout.
Mind π§ – Awareness helps you catch spirals of self-talk before they define you.
Heart β€οΈ – Awareness of your emotions keeps relationships authentic.
Spirit π₯ – Awareness of purpose keeps your life anchored in meaning.
Journal Prompts for Reflection
- Where in my life am I most often on autopilot?
- What does my body try to tell me that I usually ignore?
- How does awareness shift the way I respond to challenges?
- Which of The Five Pillars of Tiger Resilience could I strengthen through awareness?
- What would my life look like if I practiced six extra seconds of awareness every day?
RISE
Awareness is the power you already carry — the quiet strength to wake up, to notice, to choose. Without it, you live by default. With it, you live by design.
The Tiger teaches you to see with clarity. The Phoenix teaches you to rise with renewal. Together, they remind you that awareness is not just noticing your life — it’s reclaiming it.
πPlease leave a comment or reply on how you have discovered your awareness power.
Rise Strong and Live Boldly in the Bond of the Phoenix.
Bernie & Michael Tigerβ―β―β―β―β―β―β―β―
Tiger Resilience π β―β―
π For Parents and Educators Who Believe in Raising Brave, Kind Kids π
We’ve poured our hearts into Tiger Resilience for years—helping adults heal, grow, and find purpose through life’s most challenging moments. Now, we’re bringing that same mission to the next generation.
Introducing the Tiger Resilience Kids Book Series! ππ§‘
We’re thrilled to share our first two storybooks:
Theo and the Courageous Climb and Phoebe and the Sky of Second Chances.
These gentle, magical adventures are designed to help kids build emotional resilience, confidence, and the courage to keep going—even when things get tough. Each story draws from the same Five Pillars and Four Domains that guide our adult programs, but reimagined for young hearts and minds. They’re filled with vibrant illustrations, memorable characters, and messages that matter.
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Your support means the world to us. Every book purchased helps us grow this movement—empowering families to connect, learn, and thrive together through the power of story.
Thank you for believing in the next generation of tigers and phoenixes. Together, let’s help our kids rise strong.
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