Simply Be
Modern people do not spend enough time in their natural state of being. When we are present and focused on the moment we are truly alive. Many people have commented on this feeling of being deeply grounded in whatever they are doing, conveying it as a powerful state. As individuals we catch glimpses of true presence before we lose it again. You can't blame us, its a difficult thing to maintain. Our brains are in some ways wired to take us out of this state and our culture has in some ways indoctrinated us to not exist in it.
I have also been thinking lately about why it is we are called 'Human Beings' not human doings or human thinkings. You could pass this off as a technicality and say that it is an irrelevant fact. However, I'm not so sure this is the case. I think that the word 'being' used due to its hidden profundity and relevance to the correct way if living for our species. It is, in my opinion, the purest way of living. The way that is most aligned with our true nature, one that hasn't been fragmented by the modern ways of living, or isn't layered with different tiers of meaning. One built only on necessity and instinct. No other animal lives the way we do, no other animal has a conception of time or fear. These things aren't categorised and held inside their brains for future reference. A zebra does not live in fear of being eaten by a lion in the savanna, nor does it avoid the river incase of any prowling crocodiles. From a biological level this is obviously because these animals are less intelligent than us, implying are way of perceiving is superior. This to me is a naive way of looking at it. Animals don't experience trauma or unhelpful subconscious programming. They live for the now, and as a result, they live without anxiety, depression or trauma.
Clearly it isn't feasible to imply that we should all try to exist, or could exist, in the way that animals exist. But there are two main take aways from this point, based on my conception of it.
One, is that we should all be more aware of how much time we spend 'being', living inside our bodies and not our heads. Focusing on our current actions and breathing deeply into the moment.
Two, is how there is something to learn by the way animals live. We can try and understand that the past doesn't have to predict the future and that the present doesn't have to be contaminated with the pain of the past or prospect of the future. Even though it is only human to act like this, we can still be aware that our species that walk the earth live in a completely different state of awareness. Subsequently, we can learn from this and use it to help us in our own lives and times of deep despair.
I realise that this all sounds very optimistic and easy, I don't intend to be preaching any solutions to the suffering of life. I am trying to provide a few tips and different ways of looking at ourselves, with the hope that these tips may alleviate some negative experience, or maybe even create some positive ones.
Thank you for reading the blog. I hope you enjoyed it.
Adios amigos,
OJ