The Power of Awareness
Why Noticing Your Thoughts Might Be the Most Important Skill You Can Learn
Hi, I'm Manuel Saez, 2x Founder, Award-Winning Designer, and Emotional Intelligence Coach 🌻 Here I Share the advice I wish I had while building my businesses ➜ I love fixing old motorcycles 🛵🏍️
A while back, I got an email that would have normally triggered me.
Not because it was offensive. Just one of those messages that sets something off. A need to fix, reply, or do something now.
In the past, I wouldn’t even think. I’d jump straight into action, adding one more thing to an already crowded day.
But this time, I didn’t.
I caught the thought. I noticed the urge. And I chose not to act.
Nothing bad happened. The world didn’t fall apart. In fact, the situation worked itself out without my intervention.
That moment stuck with me, not because of the email, but because of what I didn’t do.
For the first time, I felt the space between a thought and an action.
And I realized that the awareness of that space is where all my power lives.
Everything Starts With Awareness
It’s easy to talk about change. Harder to do it.
But the one thing I keep coming back to,
the place where every meaningful shift in my life has started, is awareness.
Not willpower.
Not hacks.
Not planning.
Awareness.
When I’m aware of my thoughts, I have options.
I can stay with them or let them go. I can follow them into stress and self-doubt, or I can choose a different direction.
But when I’m not aware, I’m just reacting. On autopilot. Chasing emails, distractions, and other people’s expectations without even realizing it.
So many of the things we struggle with,
burnout,
anxiety,
insecurities,
poor decisions.
These don’t start with actions. They start with unconscious thoughts that trigger emotions, which push us to act in ways we later regret.
That’s why awareness isn’t just helpful. It’s essential.
Thought Channeling: Thinking on Purpose
I call this practice thought channeling, the act of thinking on purpose.
That means choosing the thoughts I want to focus on.
Redirecting my attention toward ideas that serve me. And learning to quickly shift when I notice thoughts pulling me into doubt, fear, or urgency that isn’t real.
It’s not about ignoring hard truths or pretending everything is great. It’s about deciding which thoughts deserve my energy.
Some days, it’s simple. I get a thought like “You’re behind. You’re not doing enough.” And instead of going down that rabbit hole, I pause and say, “I’m doing what I can. And that’s enough for today.”
With that, I remove the pressure to perform or do more. And paradoxically, the work I do feels more focused, grounded, and effective.
Other days, it’s harder. The thought is more subtle or feels more justified. But with practice, I’ve started to see those moments too.
I don’t always get it right, but I catch more than I used to. And that’s progress.
How to Become Aware of Your Thoughts
This is where it starts, with noticing.
Not judging.
Not fixing.
Just noticing.
You don’t need a special app or a morning routine. You just need a moment of presence. A second to check in and ask:
What am I thinking right now?
Where is this thought leading me?
Is it helpful? Is it even true?
It’s not always easy. Especially when you’re tired, hungry, or stressed. But every time you catch a thought, you interrupt a pattern. You give yourself a choice.
And that moment of choice becomes a habit.
The habit of thinking on purpose instead of reacting by default.
Emotional Maturity Starts With Thought Awareness
When you learn to choose your thoughts, everything else changes.
You start to feel more emotionally grounded.
Less reactive.
More in control.
Not in a rigid or forced way, but in a way that’s rooted in clarity.
When you choose your thoughts, you choose your feelings and your actions. You feel confident, capable, and at peace with simply being yourself.
You stop needing everything to go your way in order to feel okay.
You stop letting one bad conversation or disappointing result ruin your entire day.
That kind of emotional steadiness isn’t built by suppressing your feelings.
It comes from understanding them. And that starts with understanding your thoughts.
Because thoughts drive emotions.
And emotions drive actions.
The moment you can see that chain as it’s happening, you get to rewrite the script.
Practice, Patience, and Self-Love
If you’re reading this thinking “That sounds great, but I’m not good at it,” don’t worry.
Neither was I.
Thought awareness is a practice.
Like going to the gym, you don’t get stronger overnight. But every rep counts. Every time you catch a thought, every time you choose a better one, you’re building that mental muscle.
Some days you’ll feel on top of it.
Other days, you’ll get swept up in old patterns.
That’s okay. In fact, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about practicing. You’re learning. You’re building something real.
The key is not to beat yourself up when you fall short. That defeats the whole point.
Instead, bring curiosity.
Bring patience.
Bring love.
That’s how awareness grows.
Sending you good vibes 🌻
Manuel
manuelsaez.com
This truly speaks to where I am in my journey. I’ve come to realize that awareness is everything, but it’s also something I struggle to practice consistently. There are days I catch myself, pause, and choose a better thought… and there are days I fall right back into old patterns. But I’m learning to offer myself grace in those moments. Learning that awareness, like healing, is a practice, not a performance. From awareness comes self-love, and from self-love, respect.
Thank you, Manuel, for putting into words what so many of us are working through in silence.🙏
Beautifully said, Manuel.
Without awareness, there cannot be change.