One of my greatest intentions in life is to educate and inform others of the scale of consciousness, discovered by Dr. David Hawkins, and its direct link to our personal happiness. Simply knowing that there is a scale of consciousness can be transformative and life-changing. I want to lay out why we live the lives we do and how our awareness level is the deciding factor for most of our decision making.
At our core, every one of us yearns to be happy. The only difference is the path we each take to fulfill that desire. Your level of awareness determines what actions you believe will lead you to your ultimate happiness.
Levels 1-499
At these levels, we try to achieve happiness externally. Our intentions and life choices are ego-dominant, meaning that we mostly favor actions that will lead to an increase in validation from others and a greater assurance of our personal survival. Here we feel that if we achieve a certain level of success, we will be happy. Invariably, of course, this never ends well because it’s conditional on what’s outside of our control. We only feel happy when we get the success we want to achieve. Additionally, even if we do succeed, our minds look for something else, something bigger. Most people never get out of this loop; transcending Reason (the 400s) takes humility, compassion, and a strong desire for Truth above all else, even your own personal survival. You have to be willing to defy logic and safety to be happy.
Level 500-539
Once you hit 500, you now know that happiness is not outside of you, but within. This is where personal growth and expansion gradually become more and more important factors in one’s life. Between levels 500-540, you’re trying to become more and more unconditionally loving toward yourself and others. You start to realize that how you feel toward yourself and how you feel toward others is ultimately the same thing. Life merely provides a mirror for you to see your own perceptions of yourself through others’ actions. Forgiveness and self-love are important to transcending these levels. In the 500s, the search for happiness takes on a completely different focus; it’s internal as opposed to external. Working on yourself becomes especially difficult because the validation you were receiving before when you were in the 400s will turn on you. People will not understand your life choices and will begin to project their own fears onto you. This is a common occurrence for everyone on the path. In fact, the more resistance you get from those close to you, the better. I remember having several family ‘interventions’ because my family members couldn’t understand why I had stopped pursuing happiness in the world. It was very difficult to feel so misunderstood by those close to me; however, it taught me how to forgive and to not look for happiness in how others perceive me.
Level 540- 569
Here, happiness becomes more of a predominant force in one’s life. People who calibrate here feel much more confident in themselves and are more open to accepting life’s ups and downs. This level is known as Clarity. One feels a greater sense of empowerment and control over how to react to life. Additionally, taking responsibility for one’s own happiness and not blaming others is common. I’d say this is where one first feels a consistent level of unconditional happiness. The greatest challenge at this level is feeling confused about what direction to take in life. Also, there’s a certain level of detachment from the physical world; many at this level use spirituality as a shield and try to separate their inner life from their outer life. Feeling unfulfilled at this level is common; the next step for those at this level is to discover what you’re meant to do in this world and then have the courage to move toward it.
Level 570-600
At this level, there’s a greater sense of oneness with life and a determination to realize one’s true purpose. Fulfillment is the key word for this level. Actualizing one’s full potential in the physical world and living life to the fullest are predominant feelings. This is an extremely high level of happiness and is the goal for most spiritual seekers. Feeling connected to your soul and utilizing the Law of attraction consciously and powerfully are also strong components of this level.
From a coaching standpoint, context is everything. We’re all at different levels of awareness; knowing where you calibrate will show you how you perceive your life and what factors are driving your search for happiness. We’re all looking for the same thing in life; my life’s purpose is to help show you the way to your happiness and ultimately to your life’s purpose!