Re-Connect

In this age of constant "connectedness," when we are always on our laptops, cellphones, mini-gaming devices, pads, etc., there are a couple of easy traps.

If you are unaware, you can fritter away your moments, never really being present with what's actually around you, constantly distracted by the endless possibilities of cyberspace. Our brains are actually wired to get addicted to that ever-entertaining influx of changing stimuli. We can soon lose hours giggling at videos and reading news and gossip tidbits, and receiving some form of self-validation in the form of praise for our tweets, posts and pics. So it's no surprise we're spending more and more time there. Meanwhile, that cup of coffee you poured yourself has disappeared down your gullet and somehow you don't feel like it satisfied you, because you weren't even paying attention to tasting it and feeling it, Experiencing the simple pleasure that is your morning coffee. This might not sound like a big deal, but what is your life except a series of these moments? We spend our moments thinking about memories of the past, conjectures about the future, and meaningless distractions, a thousand other people's stories, jokes, observations and fantasies--when do we get to our own authentic life?  It leaves you feeling empty and dissatisfied, and not knowing why.

Another danger, if you are trying to be compassionate and aware, is that you get caught up in the over-abundance of bad news to which you now have access. You know, the endless stream of recent tragedies, and evidence of impending doom? (If you're into environmental issues at all, you know what I mean. Not to mention abhorrent cruelties to humans and animals alike.) Those who are paying attention to those things can succumb to cynicism and despair, feeling helpless and hopeless against insurmountable odds. It's like, I love to pick up the trash I see when I'm out.  But sometimes it can be disheartening, just how much trash there is. Sometimes it can get you down. Complacency beckons, because it's just much less frustrating.

So that's a loaded weapon in your hands. Put down the Internets, and put your hands up! Oh no no, don't reach for that TV remote, either. Let's take a walk, Buddy. Out the door, and no, you're not grabbing the cape, no saving the world this trip. You've got enough to worry about with yourself. Now you're going to find a trail, preferably one that you haven't been on before. That's right, a trail, through some nature. I know you can find one, because we are blessed enough to live in the Bay Area and there are amazing reserves all around us! 

Now--Pay Attention. Feel the breeze on your face. Notice if it's gentle or strong. Smell the air, and the sweet plants around you. Look at the huge variety of vegetation. Listen to the wind in the trees, the birds, the buzzes of hummingbirds and all manner of winged creatures. Maybe you catch a glimpse of a rabbit, a coyote or a deer. Maybe you just notice a cute bee floating from flower to flower. Or a colorful red bunch of insect eggs resting on a bright green leaf. Stop now and then and breathe. Just BE with the forest, with the earth. There's no other time or place where you need to be, just Here and Now. This is it. This is important! Remember that you come from this. It's not Man Vs. Nature, or even Man And Nature. You ARE nature. You ARE part of The Environment, you aren't separate from it. You eat food from the earth, you breathe the same air the plants and animals breathe, you share this space and time with all these beings. Your clothes come from the earth. Yes, even your cellphone is composed of elements that come from this earth. This is your Mama. This is what your body will be disappearing back into someday. Even now, every day, every moment you are ingesting air, water, earth, fire and shedding them back at the same time. You inhale, eat and drink, you absorb the energy the sun gave to that food or your skin, you metabolize it, you radiate heat and moisture back out, you shed hair and skin and replace minerals in bone, you use the restroom, you exhale. Your body is not a separate entity, it's a stream, a thousand streams, connected to everything around you. This isn't philosophy, this is physical fact. The connection was never lost, that was just an illusion. Let yourself be aware of This Moment. Let yourself wake up to your Connection. Let yourself be nourished by Nature. Let yourself be nourished by Life. You are sharing this fresh, unique, amazing moment with all these other creatures and beings, plant and animal, mountain, ocean. You are tied to them. Your fate is tied to theirs. Let them give you strength. 

This is how we fill up. Fill up with the peace that arises, naturally, when we give it a chance, when we actually live our own authentic life. We can learn to fill up whenever we start to feel that emptiness or anger. And then, we can start picking up the trash again. Then it's just like washing your own hands.