How often do we feel these feelings?
The same pure love as the first glimpse of your newborn baby. (so I've heard)
The same joy as your wedding day.
The same passion/infatuation as a new relationship.
The same euphoria/ecstasy as being in the front row for your favourite band.
The same awe/excitement as meeting your hero.
The same wonder as seeing a country or culture for the first time.
Instead we are not bad, ok, alright, good and if we're feeling particularly happy we're great or awesome.
Those deep, powerful, positive emotions are what life is about and yet a vast majority of us (including myself) continue to play in these minor emotions, we tell ourselves we don't have time for those feelings as we're busy with the daily routine of our lives. We can't run around being joyous and euphoric or nothing would get done. Why do we tell ourselves that that's ok, we can't experience true wonder because it's not productive. Does anyone really want to live that life?
When is the last time you felt true unconditional love, towards someone/something or from another. That does not come naturally for most of us, even when it comes to loving ourselves. Children seem to be the only common group that receive it, even for our partners we tend to have conditions. We would be capable of so much more, as individuals and as a society, if we practiced more unconditional love firstly to ourselves, then to others.
Too many of us get stuck in ruts, we lose passion, or we move away from the things that we're passionate about because it takes time away from the things we perceive are necessary. We don't seem to find joy or wonder in many things. We take out the mystery or flat out ignore it, we stick to our jobs, watch TV and sit on our phones and neglect things and people that bring us love, passion and wonder.
The only time I remember feeling euphoric was being 5 rows from the stage of one of my all time favourite bands, System of a Down at a music festival. It was such an amazing feeling that I had a very hard time coming back to my boring, mundane printing job for about a week or so afterwards. Looking back now it's hard to pinpoint exactly why it was such an awesome experience. I hadn't taken any drugs other than alcohol, although I wonder whether some people are attracted to drugs like ecstasy because they don't get that feeling in their lives and they don't know how else to get it...
Probably not everyone's favourite but I love it!
Joy is one that I have tried to actively cultivate in the last few years. I get it spending time with family and friends, usually if there is a good meal and a few drinks involved. I get tiny glimpses of it from seeing the sun rise over the hills or looking out at the beach on a sunny day. As I mentioned above my wedding day brought me a lot of joy to share the day with Kate and our friends and family. My client get togethers also give me tremendous satisfaction, just to be involved in like minded people come together.
One of the big reasons I keep pursuing self improvement, and the improvement of others for that matter, is so I can constantly open myself to new experiences and invite those around me to do the same. I know that what the vast majority of us experience is just the tip of the iceberg. I know with every cell in my body that there is much more! But everyone is busy and tired, for what? No one says on their death bed, "I'm glad I did that job/watched that show". We as a community and as a society need to challenge each other to do more and we also need to challenge if we have the balance right between work and the things that make us happy (for me they are the same thing :P)
This is my challenge to you! How many times have you felt any of the above feelings in the past 2 weeks? Or even the last 2 years??
We should have them more often!
We truly get one shot at this life, let's aim higher!!
What makes you feel joy, love, wonder? Now do it!
