You ever notice how small things are always getting on your nerves? We walk around all day irritated about one thing or another, whether it’s someone getting in your way on the street, a maniac cutting you off in traffic, or a friend or family member saying or doing the wrong thing. There is a toll this takes on the body, and at the end of the day you are usually tired, your back or neck hurts, and you don’t want to do anything but just plop down and watch TV. The reason for all of this aggravation is you have a picture in your mind of how you think the course of the day SHOULD go, rather to being present to what’s actually happening. Being in the present moment means taking life as it comes, not how you think it should be. If you learn to pay attention, you will find that the opportunities you are presented with are a lot more interesting than the ones you came up with on your own.

We’re generally not aware of our emotions. Whether you know it or not, your emotional world runs you. The more aware you are of your feelings, the more you can harness them to your benefit. You can be a prisoner of your emotions, or you can master them.

Simply by strolling through the aisles of any popular bookstore, it’s plain to see that the shelves are packed with countless books catering to readers’ desires to be more productive, attain inner peace and create loving relationships.  To various degrees we’ve all benefited from the wisdom contained in these books, but knowledge alone is not enough.  The main reason more of these kinds of books continue to be published is that books as a rule do not have a lasting effect. These books teach and inspire their readers, yet our habitual minds override their message.  The only way to truly intercept and break this disempowering pattern is to first become aware of how our habitual mind doesn’t serve us, then make conscious choices again and again to develop new emotions, thoughts and behaviors, until new patterns are established.

Working with a talented team of artists and developers, and fusing my psychological and neurological knowledge, I have created a truly unique iPhone application that can give people a tool to begin to master their emotions.  While there are tens of thousands of applications that help people in various areas of their lives including dieting, finding parking spots, budgeting – not to mention simply having fun — this is the first application designed to support people in getting in touch with who they really are or want to be underneath all their bad habits and insecurities. This does not represent some vague idea of being a better person; it can actually have tangible, measurable results, and greatly improve the quality of life by focusing AWARENESS on the present moment.

The application draws on techniques I have developed and used in my practice to help so many individuals, couples and families transform their lives.  Its objectives are to:

• Get us in touch with what we are feeling
• Give us tools to constructively release our feelings
• Help each of us feel more comfortable in our body
• Help us distinguish between thoughts, feelings and sensations
• Increase our ability to be in the present moment
• Over time, “rewire” our brains so that these changes become part of our natural way of being

In addition to helping us get more in touch with our feelings, The AWARENESS application gives daily, weekly, and monthly reports summarizing our most frequent feelings; giving each of us insight into our moods and associated behaviors.  After using the application for a period, early users of the app report that they have become more aware of their feelings and indeed have a greater “awareness” of how certain frequent feelings detrimentally affect their thoughts and actions. Early users of this app also report feeling more grounded and authentic in their lives.  I’m thrilled that technology can really make this possible, especially through a device – the iPhone — that is so easy to use and has become such an integral part of life for millions of people!

I don’t want people to focus on the technological aspects of the “AWARENESS” iPhone app, however, instead, my hope and intention is to help those who are really committed to personal transformation to embody what their deepest knowing is longing for – living an authentic and peaceful life.  This tool has the potential to expose a vast number of people around the world to the benefits of becoming more conscious, and –- as a result of this process — build momentum toward a “tipping point” for humanity’s consciousness as a whole!

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