Our greatest gift is the gift of consciousness, the ability to perceive what is around us and within us, yet most of the time we forget how miraculous that truly is. Responding to demands and expectations, we can find ourselves treating life like a list of chores. We categorise, compare, make plans, try to control things and generally keep busy, to the point that we forget to centre ourselves in awareness, or notice the beauty around us. We reduce everything to the realm of the ordinary, including ourselves.
How often do you take time to marvel at the fact that you are alive, right now, feeling, hearing, smelling and tasting the world around you? It’s amazing! Beautiful sights in nature, like the recent auroras, can remind us of this state of awe. Sharing the experience connects us with others, too. (No wonder so many romances start with moonlit nights!)
We don’t have to wait for extraordinary natural phenomena to stir up our sense of wonder. Even in a busy workplace we can pause to revel in the miracle of being alive. There is so much we don’t notice or appreciate when the people and things around us are taken as a mere backdrop for our daily grind. Pausing to appreciate our surroundings is like a reset button that lifts us out of our everyday stress. We stop judging ourselves and others, and simply enjoy being here. We naturally feel happier.
In all the world, there is only one you. You are a unique centre of consciousness. Nobody else sees, hears and feels what goes on in your life exactly as you do. What a shame if you were so distracted your whole life that you totally missed the experience!
Stephanie Hills ©