These days, most of us go through life in a state of incessant ‘busyness’ and distraction. We’re hyper-stimulated and constantly absorbed in useless mental chatter.
This keeps you from taking a step back and truly appreciating life. It blockades you from diving into deep contemplation and wonder. It distracts us from our higher purpose and robs us of meaning.
What to do about it?
Let your mind roam.
That is the one simple habit that will add immeasurable value to your life.
Every once in a while, take some time to slow down. Allow your mind to wander, without being preoccupied on what you have to do. Without being distracted by drama. Don’t obsess over the past or future. Don’t think about your job. Don’t get caught up in gossip. Don’t consume yourself with whether that cute girl (or guy) is going to text you back.
Simply find some peaceful solitude. Bask in the moment. Set your mind free and see where it takes you.
How to invoke blissful mind wanderings and add immeasurable value to your life:
1. Ask questions. Get curious about the world around you. (‘Why’s and ‘What if’s work really well.)
Why do people act so damn serious in business settings?
What if our universe is a cell of another organism?
Why is there perpetual war on planet Earth?
Where does money come from?
Are there things going on around me that I can’t sense?
What if God was one all of us?
2. Get out in nature. Hike, camp, get on a canoe or even just walk in a park. Simply being in nature stimulates deep thought and establishes an intrinsic connectedness with the world around you. It’s no coincidence that all the great thinkers spent time in nature. And so many top thinkers walked outside every single day.
3. Read. Exercise your mind. Get absorbed in books. Fiction takes you into fantastic new lands, stimulating your imagination. Non-fiction provides you with raw material for new ideas. Reading is the fuel for a great mind.
Let your mind roam free. But don’t identify with it. Be a witness. Observe the analytic magnificence of the mind from a place of inner peace and non-judgment. Play with new ideas. Entertain new concepts. Dance with new theories.
As Elliott Hulse said, “The world is an idea playground.”
Actively search for meaning. You just may find that the journey is, in fact, the destination.
Go play.
-Stevie P!
