When was the last time you sat still? Absolutely no artificial sound or entertainment to distract your thoughts from reality.
Being present is truly something celestial. Human-beings are masters of creating, participating, and thinking of distractions. We’re the only species
that truly struggles with purpose and satisfaction.
Today I had a conversation with my sisters while at work regarding how they believe I manage to have deep conversation with people within minutes of meeting them. My oldest sister told me that it’s bizarre how she listens to me ask people questions that have never even crossed her mind before, and that my comfort level of seeking out answers from strangers was abnormal and unique. I never thought about it, honestly, but it got me thinking.
If my brain isn’t stimulated, and I mean stimulation through connecting to people, nature, or my inner child (compassionate/curious), I feel myself drowning in an invisible dark pool of thoughts that are destructive.
Am I happy here in this city?
Should I move now, or later?
How can I make more money?
Does anyone notice my weight gain?
Do my friends ever think to reach out to me, or
must I always be the one that cares the most?
How will I get to where I need to be?
We’re the busiest we’ve ever been as a human race, yet we spend more time doing meaningless activities that are killing our sense of belonging.
When I’m at a music festival with friends, why is my mind not racing? When hiking alone or with friends, what’s more important than the next slippery and muddy step I’ll take?
Moments of connection and clarity are time capsules of hope.
It’s far too easy to go weeks on end without advantageous interactions. We look at one mate, one tv, one phone, one friend, to pull us out of our cloudy haze, yet the breath of fresh air we crave is within us and all around.
Is depression, anxiety, loss, and fear killing our belonging?
I don’t think so at all. It’s our inability to be still and unwillingness to connect. CONNECT, past surface level conversations, mundane and predictable entertainment, material accumulation, and self-loathing.
Open your eyes, ears, and all of your senses to what has a pulse, and know that everything is a beautiful or chaotic distraction.