We’re living in a cynical world. Like an addict who needs his fix, we require more and more spectacular images to catch our attention. Every so often we get a shot of inspiration. It satiates our hunger for a little while until we quickly return to our routine existence.
As we increasingly depend on someone else to jolt our senses, our independent ability atrophies. We fail to notice subtle differences. We lose our capacity to taste, see, hear, touch, and smell. Above all we lose sight of the whole of time-space reality we are in. Like appreciation for fine wine, we could be connoisseurs of life. Instead we become coarse and dull.
There is a way to develop wonder and amazement. It’s possible to live with richness. Imagine the flowers and leaves penetrating your consciousness so that the colors seem to pulsate with radiance. Imagine walking around feeling blessed by bountiful gifts and warmed by infinite love.
There is one simple way to develop amazement: Be amazed!
To be amazed we have to pay attention. We can’t take anything for granted. We can’t assume that the sun will rise or that we will be breathing another moment from now.
Paying attention to the wonders of our bodily functioning, we are grateful to wake up in the morning. We are grateful for the movements of our limbs, for our eyesight and for our digestion.
Paying attention to the world all around, from the birth of a newborn or a glorious sunset to a lizard dashing across the pavement, we are filled with awe and attachment to the Creator of all life, who sets things in order.
Paying attention to what I’m feeling, thinking and doing, I am aware of my strengths and how I can use them.
I am aware of my relationship to others. I learn to appreciate what other people do for me and the ways they make my life better. Even if I am paying them for a service, I don’t take them for granted. I also appreciate what is special and precious in other people even if they aren’t helping me in any obvious way.
Paying attention, every moment feels new.
We can enhance this awareness by writing every day all the things we could have taken for granted but which we are grateful for. We can reinforce this awareness by verbally stating out loud, “Thank you.” Before we sit down to eat we can think about the many steps it took from the rain nurturing the soil, to the farmer planting the seeds, to the company bringing it to market, to the packagers packaging it, to the worker putting it on the shelf, to the supermarket selling it, all because God wants to give this apple to me.
As we eat, we can bring awareness to the texture of the food in our mouth and the delicacy of the taste. We can be aware of the healing and rejuvenating powers of this particular food. We can say “Wow!” more often.
When we’re not used to paying attention in this way it seems as if it’s a distraction and it will take over our life. We’re too busy to pay attention.
When we stop to think for a minute, we realize, yes, it might take a little more time. That bit of extra time is worth it, considering the health benefits of eating slowly and properly digesting our food. It’s worth the bit of extra time to not rush through life but be there to enjoy it.
However, for the amount of extra time it takes is slight. While your body is already involved in what it’s doing, your mind can be engaged at the same time.