The Five Senses- a series

Part One

I was recently thinking about how it is so important for us all to live fully in the moments life gives us and not try and miss anything. How we should be fully immersed with all our senses alive and taking in everything around us. So I wanted to do a little five part series on the five senses and how we can delve deeper and experience life with all our senses. There is not one of the senses that should be left out, but often I feel one or two of the lesser ones can be overlooked. So I thought this might be a fun writing exercise for me reminding me to awaken all my senses as well as hopefully helping out those who read these as well!

 

Eyes/Sight

Eyes in my opinion are a gift I never want to take for granted. There is so much beauty in everything around us. Outside, inside, interactions, events… etc. There is always something to notice and take in. So often enough we walk around with our heads down looking at our phones and miss out on what is right in front of us. So often we have a destination we are trying to get to and we block out everything around us while getting to that endpoint. There is so much beauty along the way though, so many connections we could make that enrich our life even more than just always being on the fast track.

The other day I went wine tasting and still am in awe of all the beauty that was around me in that moment. The sun was shining and warm, the trees and grass all around me a deep emerald green, the winery looked like a villa in the Italian countryside…. Everything was so picturesque and perfect. There was also NO phone service out there at all. So I put my phone face down and spent the whole entire time drinking wine and taking in everything around me. It truly made the experience so much more enjoyable and relaxing feeling. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything really. I also got to hang out and spend time with my friend who is very important to me and the interactions we had were amazing, definitely memories well made.

We have to look up and around us. We have to make the time to put things down that are distracting us so we can be more engaged in what is happening in the now. The spectacular and glorious now, the now that is never going to be there again! Doing this usually is not a habit for us all at the beginning so we must consciously choose to make time and or get away from the distracting things and moments in life. Once we are consistent though in our purpose and drive to be more in the moment it will become second nature to us, and part of who we are.

The summer time is a perfect time to work on trying to be fully in the moment. The sun is out and being outside is usually what everyone wants to do. Being in nature can really open your eyes to your surroundings because of how incredibly beautiful and majestic our world is. The diversity from the mountains to the ocean, to the forest and the open fields where you can see everything out in front of you. There is always something new to glimpse and explore and if we are always occupied with something else or in our own world we miss out on things we might never get to experience again.

Interactions with other people are wonderful and important as well. There’s nothing better than a good conversation with someone you click with, and you are both in the moment together enjoying each other’s company. The eye contact is exciting and you’re fully invested in sharing your time and memories with that person in that special moment. Take the time to do that. Have more one on one conversations with others, put your phone or other devices down, and just enjoy the company. Get outside together if you can and just soak everything in around you.

We often take so much for granted around us, sometimes we need a wake up call. Sometimes we need something to jolt us out of our comfort zone where we were on autopilot maybe missing out on all the amazing things around us. We need to consciously do something that reminds us to never take anything for granted. To always be in wonder of everything around us. Always look at life with fresh eyes full of excitement. What are ways we can do that!? What are ways we can shake things up a bit for ourselves? I find ways that help me are doing something different than my routine, switching it up a bit. Getting outside more, treating myself to some food at a cute restaurant. These all are things that I really enjoy doing and I love taking in my surroundings so when I leave those places I notice I am more aware of my surroundings in the everyday world too. Also I found picking a specific flower or item that really grabs your attention and truly taking the time to enjoy looking at it can help keep you in the moment and in tune with all that is around you!

Most of us get the wonderful opportunity to open our eyes each morning and take in all that goes around us. We get to embrace the new day afresh and take all the sights in with new wonder. No day is ever exactly the same and we shouldn’t act that way. Always live each moment, each day eyes open taking in everything you can. Life is way to short to live with tunnel vision shutting out all that goes around us. Instead live like you are going through a life full of windows all around you letting in all the glorious light. Find that child like wonder, that passion again that each one of us holds inside ourselves. It is there, we just have to unleash it and embrace the realness! Xo

S’agapo

Photo by Peter Garry (Pita Bread)