By Lori Amsden

The miracle is not to walk on water.  The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

We live in a fast and furious world of penciled-in schedules, where after working a shift there remains appointments to catch, and a list of errands to run.  We want it all, and we can have it.  We live in a world of plenty.  This truly is a time of excess, so we indulge.  After a day of work fulfilling our quest for more, we turn into the drive thru of one of the countless outlets waiting to furnish food for those on the go.  At home, entertainment is at our finger tips with a myriad of TV programs, movies or hours of connectivity on the internet to hold our attention and dull our creativity.  We have it all, and we allow the ease of our existence to lure us into a well practiced boredom that bleaches our lives of pleasure.  We are: rushed, fed up, distracted and unfocused as one day slips into the next until the month is over, the season complete, another year lost.  Is it any wonder that so many are bored and looking for the path to happiness?  That so many have forgotten the joy of simply being?  Yes, even abundance can lead to problems, the biggest of which is a life not enjoyed.

Are you longing for a more fulfilling existence?  Shake off that blasé attitude – reclaim your life.

5 Steps to Happiness

1.  SLOW DOWN – Yes, it’s the old Buddhist, “Be Mindful”.  It’s a very simple concept and it works.  Just try it!  As you go about your life, stop to notice what is going on around you.  Allow yourself to ‘wake’ and see the beauty of the world.  You may walk this path everyday on the way to your car but have you ever paused to notice the array of colorful flowers blooming all around you?  Have you breathed deep the sweet scent of the blossoms as they release their perfumes upon the air?  When was the last time you paused to regard the hummingbird that stopped in mid-flight hovering as he regards you?  When did you last notice the gentle stirring of the breeze on your cheek, or lift your face to the warmth of the sun?  It only takes an instant to enjoy the moment.  It is the awareness of these small things, the felt connection to a world that is so much larger than us, that enriches our existence, and raises us from a drone.  It shifts us back into being the main character of our life.

OM Times Magazine » syndicated