How are we able to determine whether we’re living our lives well? We oftentimes measure life upon this planet by what we’ve gathered via possessions, material wealth, power, success, or even ‘likes’ on social media. But, are these things truly representative of a life well-lived? To see deeper into this equation, we must first ask ourselves, “What is living?”
We break our hearts over and over again, while we chase the manufactured mirage of what our lives ought to be.
Don’t you see and feel that something is off? We’ve been fooled by the deceptive glamour into believing that fame, power and money will make us happy, full stop. I assure you, it will not, as a life well lived isn’t one that’s out of focus, it’s much more profound and immeasurable than that. In fact, the deceptive glamour might eventually drown your soul, drawing you further and further away from the truest expression of freedom, and heartfelt joy.
We as human beings have been fed blatant falsehoods. We’ve been spinning our wheels for centuries, while stressing our brains and bodies to reach shallow, and oftentimes unattainable ideals. So much suffering has come by the hands of those who have forgotten how to make love to life, and by those who have convinced us to steamroll the truest knowledge of our souls, therefore snuffing the integrity of spirit. As a result, we break our hearts over and over again, while we chase a manufactured mirage of what our lives ought to be.
When we disconnect from what we inherently know is real—away from the world and the air we breathe, away from animals, trees, and each other, we inadvertently disconnect from the soul, and from our truest sense of joy and completion.
What constitutes having a good life is the connection we have to life.
The more we reach into ourselves through all living beings, through our planet, through our innermost self, and through one another, we’ll then discover the most breathtaking journey, and will develop the ability to look deeper into the many worlds of beauty and creation.
We can indeed have nice things, and to experience comfort and wealth, but it means nothing without the richness of our connections to one another, to nature, and to other life forms on this planet. A good life is not governed exclusively by possessions or stature, it is instead the intimacy we create within ourselves, and how we share that with others.
This is the moment of unspeakable grace, a beautiful soliloquy of shared experiences for the sake of merging, and to witness ‘source’ in everything and everyone. This is a passage like no other, and the reward is greater both here, and on the other side of whatever we know here on earth.
What constitutes having a good life is the connection we have to life. It’s the moments we take to smell the proverbial roses, or the time we take in the morning to go outside with a cup of coffee before heading to the office. It’s the heartfelt conversation we have with someone on the park bench, and it’s the walk through that park, through the cities, through the country sides, and by the oceans. It’s recognizing, appreciating and connecting with all the other life forms around us—the flora and the fauna. Life (and our vision of it), must be fully focused in order for us to experience its beauty and depth of perception, and in turn reconnecting with our souls and spirit.
Connection and full-focus are the primary keys to a joyous life.
We must understand that the lives we’ve been programmed to pursue, have in many ways become our prisons. Yes, we all need to pay our bills, and the requirement for currency is indeed an integral part of the overall picture, but it is NOT the entire one! If you adjust your lens with intent, and ever so carefully, you’ll be able to visualize what’s been pushed out of focus, and to realize how necessary these things are to the health and well-being of everything, and all.
Ask yourself, “What version of a good life have I been accepting?” Write the answer down. Then also ask, “What version of a good life will enrich me on all levels?” Write that answer down as well. It’s safe to assume that the response to the second question will include those things that are out of focus—the earth, and the connections with everything above, beneath and upon it. This is the focus that’s been left out of the bigger picture of life, and this is what we all require as true sustenance.
Connection and full-focus are the primary keys to a joyous existence. Our lives will feel smoother and easier when we let go of the false promises, or those projections that are attached to the most basic, earthly desires.
We will then begin to witness the entire image, to live free, to find wholeness, and to project our vision more clearly than ever before. The creativity will flow, sleep will come easier, our souls will become more restful, and our spirits will begin to fully rejoice. By adjusting the lens that we look through, and to see not only the marketable foreground, but also what’s in the background, we’ll then feel more optimized and empowered, while living the greatest, and most soul-fulfilling lives ever.
Shaman Durek