This week's post is all about the art of taking time to enjoy the simple things This is a skill that we were all blessed with as children, but have unlearned as adults. I'm talking about the ability to completely zoom into the present moment without the distractions of adult (modern) life, and engage our surroundings with child-like wonder and joy.
As I mentioned, this is a skill that we must rediscover and practice. We can do this on several unique scales. The first, and smallest scale, is what I call the one breath vacation. Try it. After you read this sentence take one gigantic breath, making it last as long as you physically can, like your life depended on it, like it was your last. How did that make you feel? Hopefully, it made you feel relaxed. If not, keep practicing it until it does.
The second degree of enjoying the simple things is to set your day up with little chunks of uninterrupted time where you can indulge in paying full attention. Launch into a conversation with a friend for an hour, go play with your kid/nephew/niece for the whole afternoon, pet a dog for 10 minutes, put on some tunes and dance in your living room after dinner, make a cup of coffee or delicious meal and see if you can fully taste every molecule. The list is truly endless. The point is to stay curious about what you are doing. If your mind begins to wander, take that one gigantic breath and reengage with the present.
The last level is much larger. It involves a lot of soul searching and hard work. It is not something that you arrive at overnight, but if you work on it everyday you will always get there. This is about finding your life's purpose(s) and fully embodying it. There can be multiple, so don't limit yourself to one pursuit. These are the things that you couldn't imagine living without. They are not attachments, per se, but rather manifestations of your own inner gifts and interests. Take your time to develop them, journal about them, talk to others about them, look for careers and hobbies that promote them, and you will find yourself not only doing what you are good at, but enjoying it as well.
That's all I've got for you today. I'm about to turn off my computer and take a screen-free Sunday to go hike in the woods with my people. Leave me any comments below.
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