Turn off your iPad. Walk away from your phone. These gadgets are great, but if you’re really after a rich, interactive experience, then stop staring at a screen and start enjoying the world around you. Remember how it felt to be completely amazed by the patterns raindrops left on a window? Or giggled as you ran across the lawn, the grass tickling your feet?
It’s easy to get lost in materialism or cynicism, working too hard to buy things we can’t afford to make up for the fact that we’re working too hard. Break free from the cycle. Notice and appreciate the world around you, and feel rich (and even more resilient). How?
Get out of a routine
Routines save time but also numb our senses. We get so used to waking up, gulping down breakfast, going to work, that we don’t really notice the flavors of what we eat or the colors of what we see. One way to feed your senses is to deliberately introduce new experiences to your routine. Prepare yourself an indian breakfast instead of cereal. Listen to a song of a new artist while driving to work. Don’t wait until your vacation to ‘do something new.’ Every day is a chance to do something new, if you give it a chance!
Look at nature
Nothing gives a sense of awe and perspective like nature—the sunset, a view of the mountains, the different colors in the bark of a single tree. But if you live in a bleak city scape, go online. Aside from gazillions of beach and forest scenes, you can find images of the galaxies or the colorful patterns found in the microscopic view of a cell.
Join the crowd
Whether it’s a political rally, or a rock concert, or a baseball game, there’s a real awe in being part of a crowd that’s passionate about something.
Surround yourself with inspiring thoughts
Facebook’s fun, but those status messages are rarely inspired. Fill your mind with something that actually inspires it, or nudges it to think, reflect, or change perspective. Keep a book of poetry by your bedside. Get those books with inspiring quotes, one for each day. Join a book club so you’ll be motivated to read something other than email forwards.
Photo from travelooce.com
[…] The third assumption of jealousy is that you are powerless to change a situation. She has something, you don’t have it, and that’s that. But you do have the power to change your life. Instead of saying, “I’m jealous of her because she was able to get a promotion” try rephrasing it: “I admire her because she was able to get a promotion.” Immediately the feeling shifts, and you can then see her as a role model. “She inspires me to work harder,” or “She gives me hope that eventually hard work is rewarded.” Hating her life wastes your energy; instead, focus on improving your own and filling it with activities and thoughts that bring you closer to your own dreams. (Read our tips on creating a wonder-filled life.) […]