The hardest part of this evolving consciousness thing for me is remembering. I can have moments of crystal clear insight, the occasional sense of deep calm and contentment, and instances of handling tense encounters with real grace. These times stand out for me because they are not yet my norm. I know that if I want to create a life more to my liking, a more constant effort is required, and I’m willing to make that effort, but how do I stop forgetting?

Our current political situation is an example. I read and listen and watch and get outraged. While I think being informed is important, and we’d all be better off if more of us paid attention, getting upset does no good. The absolute best reaction I could have is to hold the picture of what I want in front of me, feed it, and resist the urge to add my negativity to that already present. But the next outrageous incident gets me upset all over again.

Like diet and exercise, our spiritual development depends on regular, consistent attention. We don’t expect that restricting calories just once a week will do much good and we all know that getting muscles in shape takes hard work. Many of us meditate and sincerely desire spiritual progress but continue to run mantras of I’m so broke, I’m so fat, I’m so tired through our brains. OK, so how do we remember?

We put Post-Its or other reminders around the house. How long does it take for them to fade to the background and loose their effectiveness?  Some of us put inspirational wallpaper on our computers. After a short while, we fire up for the day and never even notice the uplifting message crossing the screen. Tying a string around a finger keeps its impact for about as long as it stays clean. I’m not saying these are not effective, but our nimble little minds need ever changing novel messages to stay engaged.

How do we remember? How do we keep foremost in our minds that which will help us the most? How do we remember who we really are? With the lack of any concrete answer, the best we can do is to keep on trying. I think it’s easier if we add a spiritual element to something we’re already doing everyday. For instance, when walking, spend some of the time being conscious of our breath. Or if we have a long drive, make it a practice to listen to inspiring tapes or CDs. I once read that kitchens are holy and that holiness can be honored by lighting a candle every time we spend time there. Since washing dishes is a daily task, maybe we can use that time to tune in.

We can try to make times of stress triggers for more conscious behavior. I have had some success with this. One thing I do fairly regularly now is to begin tricky situations with a little prayer. I say to myself, let only good happen here today. I breathe and repeat this until I feel it. When I use it, it works. I’ve had some pretty remarkable experiences at times when things could have gone miserably wrong.

We can also help each other. When we share our progress, we reinforce the good stuff for ourselves and possibly inspire others. Listening to others does the same for us. Do we spend time in situations that help us grow and learn and make us stronger, or do we too often find ourselves in places that reinforce our weaknesses and deplete our energy?

Take heart. Though it often doesn’t seem like it, we’re all making forward progress. We are not the same people we were ten or five years, or even one year ago. And when we forget to remember, the universe does have a way of grabbing our attention and reminding us anyway.