I have already written about what working with your consciousness actually means here [click here] However, so far I have only touched on what it can do for you. It also isn't that easy to summarize, because there probably is an infinitely long list of good reasons: after all, this is about our potential, which is just as unlimited as consciousness itself. Incidentally, this is also the reason why consciousness work should be seen as a "work-in-progress" - not a new tool we can use to beat ourselves up with because we have not yet reached the ideal! So here I have compiled an "infinity list" of reasons as to why it could be a great idea to embark on a journey of discovery into your own consciousness, and will probably add to it from time to time in the future...so feel free to drop by again!

1. You get to know yourself. Your consciousness is like a door to yourself, and not just to the things you already know about yourself (your favorite food, your job or memories of your childhood - that's just the tip of the iceberg), but also and especially everything you don't yet know or remember about yourself. And that is probably much more than you think - just like the hidden part of an iceberg.
2. This is closely related to reason 1: You find out what you want. Sounds obvious, but it's not: most people I know either don't know what they (really!) want, fulfill the needs of others instead of having their own, or have had to painstakingly find out what they don't actually want - often through painful life experiences.
3. This is also closely related to reason 1: You recognize your value. When you know yourself, you are no longer dependent on others to tell or show you who you are, what you can do (well) and whether you are valuable. You start to perceive the impulses of others as a mirror that you can use, not as ultimate truth.
4. Okay, probably everything is somehow closely related to reason 1: You find your purpose.Purpose is not a job description and therefore often remains too abstract and vague for many people. Your purpose is the essence that defines you, but what is it? When you get to know yourself, you get closer to this essence, your purpose - and this includes, for example, finding out what is really lighting you up in life, what makes you feel truly alive. Purpose is therefore something that we have to feel and experience. And working with your consciousness can help you with this!
5. You learn to see things from different perspectives., which is often enough to find a solution to a deadlocked problem or conflict, to become clear on the next step in your life, or to be able to react more relaxed in situations you would have previously gotten upset about.
6. You learn to free yourself from (perceived) limitations. Do you often think or say that you would like to do X, but unfortunately Y doesn't allow it? (Y may be a lack of money or time, your perceived deficits, or a belief that it won't work "because it didn't work out in the past?" or because you think your dog or girlfriend might object). Your consciousness is a tool that can take you where you want to go because it knows no boundaries (our limited mind is responsible for boundaries, but that is not the same thing).
7. You become more creative and innovative. Since your consciousness does not really know any boundaries, it is also the source of your potential, which means going beyond what you currently know. It is therefore the source of all your truly innovative ideas, your creativity and your vision of what you want to bring into this world.
8. You become more compassionate and understanding - including with yourself. When your consciousness expands, you may not only take on new perspectives instead of remaining stuck in your "story" (i.e. your interpretation of the world, which really only is that: your interpretation). You can also let other perspectives stand alongside yours without having to fight them, as you are not so strongly identified with "your story" or interpretation. This makes you more relaxed, more understanding and strengthens your compassion (this is also related to point 9).
9. You feel less alone or isolated. An often underestimated effect of working with your consciousness is that you can have experiences of an expanded consciousness that no longer perceives itself as being so "separate" or "disconnected" from the life around it - this can allow us to feel "connected", regardless of whether we are actually alone in any given moment or not. If you keep having these experiences, you won't forget it so easily that you actually are never truly alone or separate.
10. You learn to overcome addictions and (co-)dependencies. If you know yourself (reason 1!) and live your purpose more fully (reason 4!), you will no longer feel the need to fill your life with lots of irrelevant things that you hope may give you satisfaction, but which actually don't. I personally don't know anyone who doesn't have any addictions or dependencies. But working with your consciousness can help you clearly shift the focus of your life towards real fulfillment.

11. Your heart opens and expands. I used to wonder what people (truly) meant when they said "Listen to your heart", "Ask your heart". Or "He has an open heart." Today I know what it means because I can feel it. But you can't learn that from a book. Here again, working with your consciousness helps!

12. You learn to take responsibility for your life. And without falling into the guilt or shame trap. Again, it sounds obvious, but how often do we blame circumstances or other people for something that we perceive as going wrong in our lives? How often do we not really want to look at what is going on in our lives because we have learned at some point that we should be ashamed about whatever we perceive as "lacking"? With experiences of an expanded consciousness comes (self-)compassion. And this is the elixir of healing against blame and shame - and makes real change possible in the first place!

13. You become clearer in your communication. As you take responsibility for your life, see yourself and your needs much more clearly and are not ashamed of having any in the first place, you will also become clearer in communicating your needs. No more "beating around the bush"!

14. Your relationships improve. This reason actually directly follows from reason 13 - and from this next reason:

15. You judge less. Including yourself and others - and situations and circumstances as well. With this work, you can come to terms with your own black and white thinking and recognize that the "right, beautiful, and good" is often hidden in the "wrong, ugly, and bad" and vice versa. In other words, you recognize and accept the shades of grey in life, in yourself and in others. So why get upset about it? 😉

16. You become more relaxed. This actually follows directly from reason 15.

17. You see more clearly. This also follows directly from reason 15. Because seeing shades of grey also means, for example, that you can see "the good" in people you don't actually like and are protected from idealizing anyone or anything. This makes you less susceptible to the bias or distortions in perception that we all have because we (mis)judge.

18. You become more resistant, more resilient. Since you don't immediately sink into feelings of shame or guilt over every little thing and know what (self-)compassion feels like, you can also deal more calmly with mistakes, setbacks or perceived deficits, both in yourself and in others. On the one hand, this means that you can "face the truth" and don't have to avoid unpleasant things, and on the other hand, you remain capable of acting and can make a difference. That's a real superpower!

19. You become a bullsh*** sensor. Most people wear masks or behave strategically or manipulatively from time to time in order to achieve their goals and fulfill expectations. Most of us are not immediately "toxic" or "evil" because of this. With a clear consciousness, however, you become a sensor for everything that is not "real" or "authentic", "clear" or "straightforward". And that includes your own masks and strategies.

20. You become more authentic overall. This inevitably follows from almost all of the previous reasons: if you know yourself and your needs and purpose better, accept them and develop compassion for your whole self, you no longer have to wear masks. You will automatically start to show more of your true self to the world and will no longer want to or even be able to hide.