Connect to Life’s Radiant Beauty 

Each of us, in our own way, is in search of something greater, or just something that can give greater meaning to our lives. We are longing to become whole. Yet we’re far too busy looking for answers outside of ourselves, and relying too much on distractions, stimulants, materialism, and every possible thing we can think of that we believe will give us the meaning we long for.   

Meanwhile, we all have thousands and thousands of thoughts that go through our minds daily, and we do very little to regulate its activity. But there is a way to reign in our busy internal dialogue and allow ourselves to experience life’s beauty and hidden meaning. What’s more, it’s available to each of us, free of charge.  

A Mindfulness practice, in which we pause the busy-ness of our minds, puts us into present moment awareness. Mindfulness invites us to stay in the moment and look more deeply. It allows us to see much more than just what’s on the surface. The veils of illusion fall away, and with each one that does, our consciousness raises. 

Think of Mindfulness as having metacognition. It allows us to see what we’re seeing with total awareness. Mindfulness, when practiced consistently, can help us feel as if our awareness is so laser sharp that we see things beyond the surface. We’re able to delve into the brilliance of our being — who we are, who we’re becoming, and who we can continue to be as part of a beautiful, radiant whole. 

With Mindfulness, we become aware of the contents of our minds from a removed perspective, which makes us more conscious of what we’re thinking and feeling. And, by being in this state of complete awareness, we can observe our thoughts and feelings with acceptance and nonjudgment because we have a heightened awareness of what’s occurring in our minds. This elevates us to a pure state of mind, and it’s in this state that we can become aware of the impermanence of life — and therefore have a greater appreciation for its splendor. 

If we think of ourselves as divine beings, which we are, and regard our bodies as vessels to imbibe the spiritual experience, we can connect with a feeling of oneness.  

Experiencing a more heightened awareness means that we participate in life not only as grounded, sensible humans, but we also become deeply aware of everything and everyone around us simultaneously. Everything we do is done with a conscious awareness of how we’re doing it. This makes us more thoughtful, kind, compassionate, sensitive and attuned to life itself.  

Connect to life’s radiant beauty with these daily higher awareness practices: 

1. Start the day mindfully. When you open your eyes in the morning, take a few moments to connect to your breath. Put your hands on your heart and feel your chest rising and falling with each breath. 

2. Connect to the present. The more you develop present moment awareness, the more you trigger neurotransmitters — or “feel-good chemicals.” Being present and awake consciously means that you’re deeply aware of everything and everyone around you simultaneously. You uncover an elevated reality in which to dwell. 

3. Honor your spirit. Think of your spirit as the wind that propels your boat to sail, moving you through life with vitality. Acknowledge it as your life force. Say silently, “I am a spiritual being.” Listen to your spirit and hear what it has to say. It will tell you want it needs.  

We must be fully present to allow our senses to become heightened, to connect to feelings of oneness and to witness the radiant beauty of our lives. 

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Ora Nadrich is founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking and author of Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity, named among the “top 18 books on what an authentic life looks like” by PositivePsychology and “one of the 100 Best Mindfulness Books of All Time” by BookAuthority. She is a certified life coach and Mindfulness teacher, specializing in transformational thinking, self-discovery and mentoring new coaches. Her new book is Mindfulness and Mysticism: Connecting Present Moment Awareness with Higher States of Consciousness (IFTT Press, Nov. 11, 2021). Contact her at oranadrich.com.