Finding Meaning

The distracted digital world we live in can leave us feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, and powerless. So many small decisions are made by algorithms: what movie to watch, what music to listen to, what route to drive, so that in time, we don't feel like our own choices matter, if we feel that we can make a choice at all. In time, this leads to a life that can feel empty and lacking meaning. While the process of finding meaning is multi-step and takes time, this practice can help kickstart the mindset of curiosity and wonder, leading to a sense of greater meaning.

Transcript

Hi, This is Joni. Welcome to Finding Meaning. Today's world that we live in floods us with technology and choices are made for us. Our GPS tells us which way to go. Netflix tells us what movie to watch. Spotify tells us what music to listen to. Social media tells you what you should and shouldn't be doing. Even your online shopping apps recommend what you should buy. Because we surrender so many of these small decisions on a daily basis, It contributes to an overall feeling like we don't have control in our lives. And when we feel that sense of being out of control, It leaves us feeling depleted. With a lack of meaning and purpose. Today's practice will help you to spark a sense of curiosity and wonder, Which is the first step toward finding meaning in your life. So I want you to settle into a comfortable seat, Or lie down if you prefer. Take a great big deep breath in, Maybe stretch your body in some way. And then exhale with a sigh and let go. Allow yourself to come into stillness. And just notice what your body feels like. And in these first few moments of stillness, I invite you to begin to get curious about the sensations you can focus on. Can you feel any sensations in your feet? Perhaps if you're sitting in a chair and your feet are on the floor, You might feel that connection between your feet and the floor. Perhaps if you're laying down, You can feel your heels on the floor. Without moving the feet. What can you feel in your feet? Can you become aware of your big toe on your right foot? Can you become aware of your toenail? On that big toe. Become aware of all the little toes on that right foot. And then all the little toes on the left foot. The big toe of the left foot. The big toe nail on the left foot. Feel both feet alive with sensation. Now get curious about your hands. All of your attention, All of your awareness into your right hand. Focus on the right palm. The thumb, The thumbnail, Attention to the index finger on that right hand. The middle finger. Ring finger little finger. Awareness of the whole right hand. Awareness of all the fingernails on the right hand. Awareness of the center of your palm on that right hand. Now bring your attention to your left hand, The whole left hand. The center of the left palm. The left hand thumb. That thumbnail, The index finger. Middle finger. Wing finger. Little finger. Awareness of the center of that left palm again. And then the whole left hand. Become aware of and enjoy the sensations in both your hands, Both hands alive with sensation. Both feet alive with sensation. Awareness of the hands and the feet at the same time. Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath at the top for a few seconds. Exhale with a sigh. Now, If your eyes were closed, I invite you to open your eyes. But try to remain still in the body. With your eyes open. Notice what is in your field of view. Notice the colors. Notice the shapes. What else can you see? And just identify without judgment. But looking as if you were looking for the first time. What shapes and colors can you observe? Now turn your head and look around. What else can you observe around you? Can you practice looking with fresh eyes? Try to catch yourself if you fall into judgment. Refresh your attention and imagine that you have the eyes of a toddler. Curious, Filled with wonder. Choose one nearby object. One that looks like it has a particularly interesting texture. Bring that object into your hand and savor the sensations. Enjoy the color. Notice the shape. If you were a toddler. What would you wonder this object was used for? Does this object have a smell? What else can you be curious about? That's right around you. Use your senses. And be playful. What would you see through your toddler eyes? When you've finished exploring. Go ahead and place your objects down. Take another deep breath in. And exhale with a sigh. I invite you to close your eyes again. And to bring your awareness inside. To feel your body. What sensations can you notice now? Is there one part of the body that's calling out for attention? Whether there's a pleasant sensation or maybe an unpleasant sensation, I invite you to notice. Allow yourself to fully feel it. Now notice your energy level. That's if you're tired, Wide awake, Or somewhere in between. Look inside and ask yourself how you're feeling. Are there any emotions present? Explore any emotions that are just beneath the surface. But try to just acknowledge the emotion. And untangle the circumstance of why you feel that way. And a good way to do that. Is to simply try to notice where you feel your emotion in your body. That emotion that you notice, Maybe one that's deep beneath the surface that you don't look at much. Where do you feel it in your body? Can you focus on that sensation? Take a deep breath in. And exhale with a sigh. And now for your mind. Offering your mind the perspective that you can choose where you place your attention. And the attitude that you bring to your attention. So get curious. When you notice things. Is there judgment behind it? Are you criticizing yourself? Or just simply having an opinion about whatever's present for you. Can you get curious about that? And practice noticing through the eyes of a toddler. Of a young child. With joy in their heart. The more you can practice noticing without judgment. You'll find that a sense of meaning can naturally arise. Once you practice this, You'll find that you're able to bring a sense of joy and calm to yourself and those around you. And the more you're able to get curious and cultivate a sense of wonder. The more you'll be able to enjoy. And find meaning in the simplest of circumstances, Even simply the sensations in your hands and feet. Another great practice that I recommend. Is to step outside first thing in the morning before you pick up your phone. No matter what the weather. Step outside for between one and two minutes. And you're welcome to set a timer if you'd like. And there's no other instruction, Just be there. Feel. The temperature, The weather, Whatever it is, If you're able to put your feet on the earth. Or if you live in an apartment and don't have easy access to the outdoors, You can open a window. And sit. For a couple of minutes. Just feeling and looking at the sky. The more we remember that we're a piece of a larger puzzle. If we draw our awareness deep inside, And then, Look at the bigger picture. We can find that we are all connected. Take a deep breath in. And exhale with a sigh. If your eyes were closed, You're welcome to open them again as we're bringing our practice together to a close. This is just a first step in working toward finding meaning. Keep practicing. And return for more inspiration. Take care. Hi, This is Joni. Welcome to Finding Meaning. Today's world that we live in floods us with technology and choices are made for us. Our GPS tells us which way to go. Netflix tells us what movie to watch. Spotify tells us what music to listen to. Social media tells you what you should and shouldn't be doing. Even your online shopping apps recommend what you should buy. Because we surrender so many of these small decisions on a daily basis, It contributes to an overall feeling like we don't have control in our lives, And when we feel that sense of being out of control, It leaves us feeling depleted. With a lack of meaning and purpose. Today's practice will help you to spark a sense of curiosity and wonder, Which is the first step toward finding meaning in your life. So I want you to settle into a comfortable seat, Or lie down if you prefer. Take a great big, Deep breath in, Maybe stretch your body in some way. And then exhale with a sigh and let go. Allow yourself to come into stillness. And just notice what your body feels like. And in these first few moments of stillness, I invite you to begin to get curious about the sensations you can focus on. Can you feel any sensations in your feet? Perhaps if you're sitting in a chair and your feet are on the floor, You might feel that connection between your feet and the floor. Perhaps if you're laying down, You can feel your heels on the floor. Without moving the feet. What can you feel in your feet? Can you become aware of your big toe on your right foot? Can you become aware of your toenail? On that pig toe. Become aware of all the little toes on that right foot. And then all the little toes on the left foot. The big toe of the left foot. The big toe nail on the left foot. Feel both feet alive with sensation. Now get curious about your hands. All of your attention, All of your awareness into your right hand. Focus on the right palm. The thumb, The thumbnail, Attention to the index finger on that right hand. The middle finger. Ring finger little finger. Awareness of the whole right hand. Awareness of all the fingernails on the right hand. Awareness of the center of your palm on that right hand. Now bring your attention to your left hand, The whole left hand. The center of the left palm. The left hand thumb. That thumbnail, The index finger. Middle finger. Wing finger. Little finger. Awareness of the center of that left palm again. And then the whole left hand. Become aware of and enjoy the sensations in both your hands, Both hands alive with sensation. Both feet alive with sensation. Awareness of the hands and the feet at the same time. Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath at the top for a few seconds. Exhale with a sigh. Now, If your eyes were closed, I invite you to open your eyes. But try to remain still in the body. With your eyes open. Notice what is in your field of view. Notice the colors. Notice the shapes. What else can you see? And just identify without judgment. But looking as if you were looking for the first time. What shapes and colors can you observe? Now turn your head and look around. What else can you observe around you? Can you practice looking with fresh eyes? Try to catch yourself if you fall into judgment. Refresh your attention and imagine that you have the eyes of a toddler. Curious, Filled with wonder. Choose one nearby object. One that looks like it has a particularly interesting texture. Bring that object into your hand and savor the sensations. Enjoy the color. Notice the shape. If you were a toddler. What would you wonder this object was used for? Does this object have a smell? What else can you be curious about? That's right around you. Use your senses. And be playful. What would you see through your toddler eyes? When you've finished exploring. Go ahead and place your objects down. Take another deep breath in. And exhale with a sigh. I invite you to close your eyes again. And to bring your awareness inside. To feel your body. What sensations can you notice now? Is there one part of the body that's calling out for attention? Whether there's a pleasant sensation or maybe an unpleasant sensation, I invite you to notice. Allow yourself to fully feel it. Now notice your energy level. That's if you're tired, Wide awake, Or somewhere in between. Look inside and ask yourself how you're feeling. Are there any emotions present? Explore any emotions that are just beneath the surface. But try to just acknowledge the emotion and untangle the circumstance of why you feel that way. And a good way to do that. Is to simply try to notice where you feel your emotion in your body. That emotion that you notice. Maybe one that's deep beneath the surface that you don't look at much. Where do you feel it in your body? Can you focus on that sensation? Take a deep breath in. And exhale with a sigh. And now for your mind. Offering your mind the perspective. That you can choose where you place your attention. And the attitude that you bring to your attention. So get curious. When you notice things. Is there judgment behind it? Are you criticizing yourself? Or just simply having an opinion about whatever's present for you. Can you get curious about that? And practice noticing through the eyes of a toddler, Of a young child. With joy in their heart. The more you can practice noticing without judgment. You'll find that a sense of meaning can naturally arise. Once you practice this, You'll find that you're able to bring a sense of joy and calm to yourself and those around you. And the more you're able to get curious and cultivate a sense of wonder. The more you'll be able to enjoy. And find meaning in the simplest of circumstances, Even simply the sensations in your hands and feet. Another great practice that I recommend. Is to step outside first thing in the morning before you pick up your phone. No matter what the weather. Step outside for between one and two minutes. And you're welcome to set a timer if you'd like. And there's no other instruction, Just be there. Feel. The temperature, The weather, Whatever it is. If you're able to put your feet on the earth. Or if you live in an apartment and don't have easy access to the outdoors, You can open a window. And sit. For a couple of minutes. Just feeling and looking at the sky. The more we remember that we're a piece of a larger puzzle. If we draw our awareness deep inside, And then, Look at the bigger picture. We can find that we are all connected. Take a deep breath in. And exhale with a sigh. If your eyes were closed, You're welcome to open them again as we're bringing our practice together to a close. This is just a first step in working toward finding meaning. Keep practicing. And return for more inspiration. Take care.