Last weekend my family spent time at Muir Beach, a small jewel of a beach north of San Francisco. While gazing at the ocean, I noticed a few dark fins surfacing not too far from the shore. Excitedly, I alerted my family to them. It turned out to be a group of six dolphins.
Watching the dolphins leisurely frolic in the ocean, and witnessing the breathtaking beauty of an occasional breach, transported me out of my normal consciousness. It was difficult to turn away from them. The usual chatter in my mind was silenced by the pure, joyful experience of seeing magnificent creatures in the wild putting on a show for the fortunate humans taking notice of them.
The play of the dolphins got me in touch with the wonder of life. My appreciation for the mystery of being alive, the incredible diversity of life on this planet and my connection to life itself were heightened. A rare and unexpected experience of nature led me to this place. Wouldn't it be great if we could create these kinds of experiences every day?
The following chapter from my new inspirational book, Living Wisely, explores what it takes to create more of them:
Create transcendent moments.
Part of us yearns for transcendent moments. These are
joyful moments that take us completely out of ourselves. In
them, we experience a taste of eternity. The boundaries that
separate us from knowing that all of life is interwoven into
a web of energy and love are temporarily dissolved. We are
in the presence of the Source of that love. The sense of awe
and the sacred can be overwhelming. These are some of the
most precious moments of a lifetime.Given that these moments are so special, why not
put energy into creating them? Most of us consider ourselves
lucky to experience them. These moments sneak up
on us and transport us. It might happen at the birth of a
child, during a stunning experience of nature, in prayer, or
through listening to music.As with creating anything else, you first have to set your
intention to create transcendent moments. You also have
to be willing to get outside of your normal patterns of navigating
through the world. It means focusing on the moment
and taking the time to relish it.Transcendent moments are always possible. When we
are willing to get out of our heads and into our hearts more,
we are on the way to experiencing them more and more.When was the last time you experienced a transcendent
moment? How can you create one now?
The mystery that is life surrounds us. As we go about taking care of our responsibilities throughout the day, we can choose to take a few moments to be with what is greater than ourselves and revel in it. The boost in energy and aliveness through connecting to the essence of life is a gift. Why not take some time to give it to yourself? You deserve it!