Life is a truly blissful experience. The human experience is almost overwhelmingly magical in its complexity; how you can distill almost every single thing you can touch into the most basic of elements, or zoom all the way out to see the bigger (and, somehow, far more simple) picture. The way we can interact with the physical (and non-physical) world through our many senses is simply delightful, and the range of emotion (from the happiest of happy to the lowest of lows) that one can feel in a reaction to this variety of stimuli is dizzying in its potential intensity. The things that we can’t touch — the moments we experience — are totally unique yet they still manage to bind us together in collective awe.
The smell of a baby’s head. The way flowers bloom and twist towards the sun. The first bite of food when you’re hungry, or water when you are thirsty. The sound of music as it fills your ears.
However, reality doesn’t always appear as blissful and beautiful as we know it to be. Our cars break down, and sometimes we get laid off. We fight with the ones we love the most and unintentionally cause pain to other living things. Frustration and setbacks are as much a part of the human experience as is bliss and happiness — an essential part, though they are often far less satisfying and pleasurable. The Chinese concept of yin and yang demonstrates this perfectly. Without darkness, we have no gauge with which we can appreciate the light. The unfavorable and unfortunate things that the universe gifts us are just that: gifts that allow us to see clearly and cut through the clutter of what truly is important, steering us further down our paths.
True bliss is not ignoring the dark parts of life, but being able to see the light in spite of — or maybe even because of it. It’s about finding the balance between the two, where light and dark help to bolster each other rather than tear each other down (think: depression or having an oblivious, ungrateful perspective). Seeing the bliss in everything might be one of the hardest habits to develop (perhaps because it can feel quite inauthentic in the very beginning) but there are a few universal truths that can be found everywhere in life, once you decide to recognize them. Here are a few that you might find useful.
Appreciate The Small Things, With Every Sense You’ve Got
There are grand moments in life that stick out to us because of the momentous weight they carry — then there are other, more quiet moments that speak to us only when we’re actively listening. The funny thing about this dichotomy is that the small moments are more plentiful, but with the craziness of our daily lives, so many of them fly under our radar! Think about it this way: how often do we lament and abhor red lights, but we never pause to appreciate all of the green lights which we, inevitably, blow right through? Being able to recognize life’s small, beautiful moments is a skill that we must take responsibility for nurturing and growing ourselves, because human nature tends to surrender our attention to whatever speaks the loudest at that moment. If you find yourself smiling or pausing to appreciate something, take a moment longer to experience that pleasure with every sense you have. See it, smell it, feel it, breathe it in — you’ll be amazed at how the magic in ordinary things can leap out at you when you know what you’re looking for.
Travel (Locally or Globally), Because Everything Is An Adventure
Travel is, undoubtedly, one of the best parts of life — and there are few people who would want to contest that fact. The word ‘travel,’ however, is often subject to change based on who is speaking of it. There’s a lot that goes into people’s understanding, definition and thrill of travel, such as their budget, life responsibilities and ability to receive paid time off from work. Whereas one person might only consider investing in solo travel to the most remote parts of the world, another might be thrilled by the idea of driving an hour to dinner in the next town over. The beautiful thing about the subjectivity of travel is that it is all valid, because when you look at life as if it is an adventure, then everything truly does become just that: an adventure. Suddenly, driving a different route to work can provide a fascinating perspective on what was once customary and oh-so-ordinary. Even something like visiting a new coffee shop can turn something totally ordinary into something extraordinary. It’s a new way to experience life. Well, really, it’s a new way to experience yourself, experiencing life.
If you can, try to venture out of the country in order to experience an entirely different culture in a way that is humbling, yet ever-inspiring. Once you see the world, there’s no way of going back to the same mindset that you had before.
Believe In The Good Of People
As beautiful and blissful as life inherently is, there are many parts that are distinctly not so. Things like war and poverty affect people’s lives in ways we never imagined they one-day might. Natural disasters shake the earth, seemingly without reason (although climate change is a good place to start), amongst many other things, like a rude neighbor or those frustrating daily inconveniences. However, do you know what speaks louder and casts a bigger shadow, even if the face of such horrific things? Good People. Like how communities and people always seem to join together when it is needed most, to put aside their silly differences and be a part of the bigger idea — to be a part of the solution. The good of humanity always shines through whatever darkness has befallen it at that moment.
This expectation, that people are inherently good and will do the right thing, plays out the same way on a large or small scale. I find that if you trust people to be generally good, people will unintentionally do their best to match your expectations. People want to succeed when they are given the chance — so why make it harder than it needs to be? When this theory is challenged, as if often is, it can be helpful to hold on tight to the ideas of trust, bravery, and selflessness. Ensure that you are leading my example, subsequently manifesting the exact reality which you desire by already reflecting it within yourself.
Enjoy The Ocean (Or Any Type Of Water)
As human beings, we spend most of our time on dry land, surrounded and cushioned by air on the outside (as well as the inside, through our breath). Though we indeed spend most of our lives this way, there’s no denying the connection and fascination that every one of us has with water. It doesn’t matter what form it’s in — freshwater, deep ocean saltwater, even frozen water — in one way or another, we have a way of interacting with it and drawing purpose from it. People love to get back to their roots by connecting with the ocean, for example, because it’s not something you have to think about very much. Being around the ocean feels good, and feeling good does not need to be rationalized. So, get out there and experience water in any way that you can. Walk your dog by a lake, or hike to gaze at (and maybe dance under) a waterfall, or travel to a nearby beach and take a surf lesson or two. Even more proverbial ways of experiencing water, like working up a sweat or having a good cry, elicit those feel-good chemicals in your brain that will leave you wondering if there’s something more to it all.
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Bliss is something that, once you first experience it, it becomes addictive. When you learn how it feels to be truly blissful, calm and empowered in mind, body and soul, you unintentionally begin to seek out this experience in everything you do. Bliss on vacation is one thing, but bliss in your everyday life? Well, that’s what everyday life is all about, baby!
