You’ve probably had moments in your day where you asked yourself the question, how did I get to this point in my life? Is this it? Is this all about my life or am I destined for more? Why does it feel like I’m disconnected from everything and everybody?
Often we go through life reminiscing, in a state of auto-pilot, with no vibes. Most days in life become GROUNDHOG DAY, nothing changes, and it feels like something that just “happens” to us. Often, we try to manage our health, careers, and relationships in a world that has less to offer and demand more of us. We question when or if ever we’re getting off the hamster wheel.
Why am I so disconnected?
There may be a few reasons why you are disconnected. Technology could be one of the reasons. Staring at our phones is an automatic response for a lot of people. For some of us, it is the fear of missing out (FOMO) that comes with social media, emails, or the excitement of watching the latest cat video uploaded. There is this habitual tendency to check our phones or other devices even when we don’t need to. When we are waiting in line for our coffee, when we have wandering thoughts during lunch, or when stressful thoughts enter our mind – we seek solace in disconnection and blame it on technology.
Ever spoken to someone at work, at home, or during your evening walk, who we know is somewhere else mentally. Probably not fully engaged in the conversation, but they're there all the same. They are probably thinking of what to eat for dinner or remembering the bills that are waiting to be paid or perhaps they are trying to work through their emotions. But their mind is somewhere else and you know it, they probably do too. It could even be you having this moment from time to time.
In reality, we live in a world where innovation is supposed to keep us connected and up to date, but why do most of us feel rather disconnected? Just like we experience a drive to visit our parents and friends, we experience life, not knowing what we did, or how we got there. But we’re there. Even though we missed moments to connect with ourselves, others, and the world around us.
We still got there right?
When was the last time you had a meaningful and truly deep conversation? Or the last time you fell at ease waiting for your coffee?
Begin to reconnect, now!
What if there are ways to feel more connected to life, to people around us, the seemingly meaningless conversations we have with strangers, to the jobs we have, and more importantly to ourselves. Well, there is always a way, it is called PRESENCE. Being there, at that moment, body, and mind. When we are fully present, there is more meaning in our daily experience, it births moments of clear recognition. We can truly be with our partners, not just physically but emotionally.
“Suppose I hold a leaf in my hand, what do you see? A leaf; it is not a flower. But in fact, when we look deeply into the leaf, we can see many things. We can see the plant, we can see the sunshine, we can see the clouds, and we can see the earth. We are not the same as, nor are we separate from, other beings. We are connected to everything, and everything is alive.” – Thich Nhat Hanh.
While on our daily walk, when we take a pause and notice the beautiful sounds of the birds or the rustling flowers in the wind, we reconnect back to nature and our environment when we are really listening instead of waiting our time to respond in a conversation with friends, we connect to each other.
When we realize our mind is drifting towards memories of painful experiences or towards something we are anxious to see, and we find a way to compassionately bring ourselves to the here and now, we are connected to the present moment. All the magic happens in the present moment. It’s in this space we realize that we need not add anything or take away from this moment to feel whole.
We were never disconnected – we just weren’t present. I would love to invite you today to take time to pause. Yes, pause, notice where you are, pay attention to the sounds, and do not cloud this moment with ideas or judgments, simply notice the smell, the sounds, and the feelings. Remind yourself that you are part of all of it. Remember to be present and connected, here – now.
