I know what is the most important thing to me right now. It isn't having a great job or paying off my student loans, it's connection. Connection with others and connection with the Earth.
When I first got back from Morocco is when I really began to feel how important this was to me and how I thrived when I felt real connection, if only for a few seconds. I remember being in Schuler Books back in December. The woman behind the counter, ringing up my order, looked me square in the eyes when she spoke to me, even if it was just a few scripted words like "how are you today?" But I told her how thankful I was that she actually took the time to really look at me and how I thought not enough people did that.
A while ago I began writing down the simple pleasures of the day in my journal. To remind me how important it is to put value on the little things and to hold onto them. A few of the things I wrote down were:
- Helping a woman put her bike in her car
- Smiling at a girl in the hall at Jackson High School
- Waving to a man in his driveway
My yoga instructor taught me several weeks back that all feelings have energy. Bad feelings like frustration, jealousy, envy, or insecurity have negative energy that bring us down. Good feelings have positive energy. I'll let you decide what is a good feeling for you. For me some are gratitude, love, joy, and of course connection. When you are having a bad feeling switch your thoughts to a good feeling and leave behind the negative energy it caused. I use these little moments of connection to help me to this.
All I want are chances to have these connections in my life. Whether it happens when I am running errands, working, or going for a walk, I am always looking for them.