Show up in this exact moment and you will directly experience life in high definition. When you get out of your own way, let go of trying, and allow yourself to simply be, life feels crisp and clear. Be here now and your senses will light up. Shazaam! You will feel a spark of energy, a shiver, or a pulsing aliveness that will turn you on and wake you up to the vividness of the world around you.
Experiences go from black and white or analog to vivid Technicolor.
Such high-definition moments are free of charge and available to most of us every day. You don’t have to wait until the next time you are at the beach, on a mountaintop, or even in the middle of a crisis to feel your senses heightened. Believe it or not, high-definition moments are continuously available, even during mundane activities.
Next time you’re eating, ask yourself what you taste and smell. When you’re walking, pause and notice the trees. When your driving, brushing your teeth, or in your spin class, pause and recognize what you notice. Tune in to the moment with all of your senses and you will encounter the variety of shades, sounds, smells, tastes, and feel of a high-definition moment.
The good news is that when you settle down and get out of your own way, your attention drops down below your head and your busy mind and into your body. You’ll arrive in a space where you become vividly aware of your senses and exactly what you’re seeing, tasting, touching, hearing, and smelling. Connecting with your body through physical sensation is essential to experiencing life fully. Your body always experiences life directly and vividly. It cannot do otherwise. You can’t smell or see something secondhand. Your body is always present; the feeling of grass under your feet cannot be muted or dulled.
During a high-definition moment you may feel any or all of the following:
- vibrant
- energized
- empowered
- ready
- aligned
- at ease
- happy
- peaceful
- relaxed
- confident (and more)
Living in high definition feels like a sense of being whole. It’s a feeling of being in harmony and alignment in both your inner and outer worlds.
Ultimately sensing life in high definition goes beyond words. You can experience it anytime — on a run, lying on the beach and listening to the ocean, floating in a pool, working on a jigsaw puzzle, or hiking in the woods.
Notice. Notice. Notice.
Recognizing high-definition, full-sensory moments throughout your day is to experience life completely or directly. It’s a way of being fully alive. To strengthen your ability to see life in high definition in ordinary moments, start to recognize when you feel clear, bright, alert, sharp, strong, vibrant, fearless, excited, empowered, or courageous.
To recognize these moments, you’ll need to be present for them. If you’re thinking about the past or future or daydreaming about your next vacation, you will miss the chance. Right here, in this moment, you have the opportunity to participate in reading these words, to feel the couch beneath you, or the sun on your face.
To experience more of your life in high definition, incorporate this simple practice into your day:
Stop. Take Five. Experience.
1. Set your timer for 2 minutes. Close your eyes.
2. Pay attention to your breathing by counting five full breaths. It helps to think, “Inhale, exhale one. Inhale, exhale two,” and so on. Listening to the sound of your breath will almost immediately relax you and begin to settle your busy mind.
3. After five breaths, open your eyes and sit quietly.
4. Now, with your mind calm and body still, slowly look around and actively notice your surroundings. What do you see, smell, hear, taste, or touch? Do you feel dull or awake? Are you tired or energized? If your mind is very busy thinking, that’s okay too. Whatever you notice is perfect.
Pausing in this way is the first step to connecting with your body and waking up to your naturally high-definition life.
What Were Your High-Definition Moments Today?
You have had your own high-definition moments, I’m sure of it. Can you think of a few? Perhaps it was the intense emotional high you experienced when you got married or the profound disappointment you felt when you didn’t get the job your heart was set on. Sometimes high-definition moments are easy to identify, and sometimes they’re not as clearly defined.
Try this simple exercise to recount moments during your day when the world became vivid or you felt a surge of energy:
Recall Your High Definition Moments
Before you go to sleep tonight, recall three times you felt touched by life. Perhaps it was seeing the sun hit the top of the trees in the late afternoon or hearing the giggles of the neighbor’s kids in the backyard. Maybe you listened to a friend in need or belted out a song during your commute home. List these moments in a journal or simply in your mind. Do this exercise regularly and you’ll soon recognize high-definition moments all the time.
High-definition experiences are available to you right here in this moment. It’s a matter of first recognizing them and then pausing to fully experience them. In other words, stop and smell the roses, taste the apple, watch the sunset. High-definition moments will recharge you in powerfully moving ways and light you up from the inside out. Don’t try to do anything special. In fact, don’t do anything at all. Simply stop, pause, and experience the brilliance of being fully alive.
Originally published at medium.com