On reflection, we begin to list: values, creativity, support, self-realization, relationships, dreams, achievements … But something is missing from these beautiful lists. Something very simple, down to earth.
The question is not in vain formulated not “what fills my life with meaning”, but “what fills me, my existence with life”. We are talking about vitality – the general energy of the body, the absence of which is so strongly felt in depressive patients. I recall how observers described the manifestation of vitality in animals.
“I saw a young elk rushing across a snowy field, jumping up and down, bending his whole body in the air, stopping to catch his breath, and then starting all over again. We also saw bison, who, having played out, jumped out onto the ice and glided over it with a contented lowing … “
“Panda gushed with happiness. Joyfully bouncing, she quickly climbed the slope, pushing bamboo stalks along the way, and then turned around and rolled head over heels down like a merry black-and-white ball. She ran back – and rolled again … “
“I saw a young mountain gorilla climb high up a vine to get a gourd-like fruit. Here is what I wrote about it: “She plays with the fruit, throws it back and forth, catches it with her hands, then catches the stalk with her teeth, so that the fruit hangs from her mouth, gets up on two legs and starts somersaulting. Then he gets up, still clutching the ponytail in his mouth, and beats the fruit with both hands, making loud thudding sounds from it. The next day, the gorilla again comes to the same creeper with the clear intention of getting himself another wonderful toy.
No values, communication, self-realization. Simple animal joy from very simple things, from the contact of the body with these things … And I understand what is sometimes missing in the answers. Filling with life is impossible outside the body. Beyond our simple feelings. To feel our own existence is one of the main tasks of our consciousness.
I breathe life. The smell of summer dust nailed to the ground by rain. The smell of autumn leaves. The smell of a new, just bought book, and this smell promises me new impressions from the book. Air smelling of ozone after a thunderstorm or in frost. The smell of coffee in the kitchen on a dull, dank autumn day. The smell of a pile of apples dumped indoors. Damp basement smell. The smell of PVA glue. The smell of the perfume of a girl passing by. Salty sea wind. The smell of a fire, burning resinous firewood. Freshly baked bread… The smell of damp earth. New markers in childhood..
Pass the tests
- Can you live in the present?
I touch life. Cellophane bubbles bursting under finger pressure. The hard gums of a baby daughter who tickle my nose or finger with them. Hot sand on the beach, warming a cold foot. Sun-warmed stones on the face. A soft female body that can be squeezed and feel the tenderness and elasticity of the body. Flexible cat. A warm blanket in a cool room after a shower. Yes, and the warm shower itself in the fall, when there is no heating in the house. Touching the palm of the hand to the foliage and grass. Wind in your hair. The tiny palm of the daughter, covering the index finger. Bicycle pedals spinning underfoot. Plasticine in hand.
I hear life. The sounds of a very quiet, gentle surf in almost complete calm. The crunch of snow underfoot. The singing of a daughter or wife, coming from the next room, when you go about your business and you realize that this singing is just like that. The noise of leaves under the gusts of wind, soothing and reminiscent of eternity. The rumble of an airplane is somewhere far in the sky. Wheel rattling on a train. The chirping of sparrows in the foliage. A “coo-coo” coming from nowhere in a quiet forest. Favorite song that sounds where you did not expect to hear it at all. The crackling of fire and the gurgling of water in a pot over the fire. The sound of an approaching thunderstorm. The rustle of an unwrapped gift box. The noise of cars driving on wet roads. The voice of the dispatcher at the airport announcing boarding your flight.
Pass the tests
- Are you visual, auditory, or kinesthetic?
I see life. Delicate yellow-green leaves on wet asphalt. A rainbow after a stormy storm. A beautiful girl who met my gaze and smiled. Drops of water on roses and leaves, on the awning of the tent. Shining stars and the Milky Way in the night sky. Shiny ice-sparks on a frosty sunny day. Deep autumn sky and transparent light scattered in the haze. A bright red coat among gray-black silhouettes. Twilight in the shadow of thunderclouds. Green, newly blossomed leaves, illuminated by the rays. Bright orange mushrooms on a brown tree. Christmas toys in a box. Night city lights.
I taste life. The taste of matches. Sweet peach with tender flesh. Pine needles and resin… Pine nuts… Rain water. Rosehip brewed in a camping pot. The last remaining candy on a long hike. Ice icicle. Metal grill in the cold… The taste of a simple pencil…
Read more:
- Summer reveals our sensuality
All these and many other similar simple sensations are the basis, the basis of my life. If I suddenly once lose my taste for them, lose the opportunity, like those animals, to celebrate life, then everything that is “built on” above them will lose its meaning. Therefore, I always find time to slow down for a couple of seconds in my life run, and see-hear-try-feel-breathe life. Without it, you will not be filled …
What fills you with life?