The hectic pace of modern life can easily cause us to lose sight of the beauty and magic of the world around us. We are often caught up in the whirlwind of our daily routine, focused on tasks to be completed and deadlines to be met. However, taking time to stop, reflect and connect with life can be a powerful way to strengthen our connection to it.
Stop for a few seconds and ask yourself about certain aspects of your daily life. Those daily situations in which you strengthen your connection with life.
The art of connecting to life
Is your life path a straight line or does it have curves? Sometimes you can forget that today is the present moment. That's when you find yourself saying things like “I remember when I was young…”. It's a waste of time.
The best part of life is saying, “It's too early,” and then “It's too late.
Gustave Flaubert
When you look back on your day, you may conclude that nothing remarkable happened. But, are you sure?
By neglecting what life offers you, you deprive yourself of the factors that bring you into contact with it. It could be a smile, a hug, a cup of coffee or the simple effect of feeling the breeze on your skin.
You can choose to live your life with or without blinders. If you have blinders on, you can't see the landscape. Your path seems straight and boring, instead of curved and full of beautiful scenery.
Strengthen your connection with life
There are many ways to strengthen your connection to life. Mindfulness philosophy can be helpful in connecting with those moments that give you energy and make you feel alive. So, if you feel that time is passing too quickly and you feel out of breath, use some of these techniques to increase your receptivity to the joys of life.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment without judgment. This means that we are not distracted by our thoughts or worries, but are fully present in the moment. We can practice mindfulness by focusing on our breathing, by observing the sounds and sensations around us, or by being attentive to our thoughts and emotions.
However, be careful not to confuse mindfulness of being here and now with clearing your mind. In fact, mindfulness is a way of living. A way of learning from life. It allows you to become aware of what you are doing, in order to strengthen your connection with life. Indeed, it makes you more receptive to what is happening in the present moment.
Mindfulness: Learning to focus on the here and now
Living your life with your mind fully focused on what you are doing, in addition to preventing anxiety and depressive symptoms, changes the way you relate to your environment. The seconds, minutes and hours of your life stop being “empty”.
Introspection to help you strengthen your connection to life
You might think that meditation is a waste of time. However, it is a mindfulness practice that allows you to reach a state of relaxation. For example, try focusing for two minutes on your breathing alone.
Don't worry if your attention gets out of hand. This is normal. After all, focusing on your breathing may bring up some thoughts and emotions that have little to do with your observations.
When this happens, simply bring your attention back to the air filling your lungs and the rhythmic movement of your rib cage. Observe your thoughts, without going into detail about whether they are “good” or “bad” or whether they “should or should not be in your mind.”
A matter of perception
- Observe your body.
- How do you feel?
- Stuck or relaxed?
- How do you feel if you focus on the big toe of your left foot?
- Can you feel it in contact with your shoe?
Concentrate on that feeling.
When you walk, do you feel the touch of the sole of your foot against the asphalt? A good way to “get in touch with life” is to increase your awareness of the sensations and perceptions you experience throughout the day. Look at the trees, the people, the sky. What do you see? What do they convey to you?
Observing your surroundings can give you extraordinary positive emotions. Indeed, the environment is full of vibrant colors and sounds. The sun has the potential to caress your skin and bring you a little warmth, even on the coldest days. Have you ever stopped to think about these aspects? They are just little things, but they can help make you feel better and comforted on a daily basis.
The Power of Gratitude
You can trust that the practice of gratitude will potentially bring you intense feelings of positive valence. The ability to be grateful for what you have is the “ability to perceive and acknowledge certain things that have been beneficial to us at some point in our days” (Cerdan et al., 2022).
Developing this ability through the things that others do for you or the things that life offers you increases your perception of the positive aspects of your life. In addition, it improves your ability to connect as you make sense of the events you experience.
As you can see, there are many ways to strengthen your connection to life. That said, it can often be difficult for you to pay attention to the situations, colors, people and sounds around you. However, through the practice of mindfulness, you will learn to better appreciate your life and everything around you.
Summary
I am a student and I am part of the editorial staff of thesilverink.com. I have the chance to enjoy writing, however, I also like to discuss all subjects and especially anything related to Science.
