Have you ever been so wholeheartedly happy in a moment that the melancholic thought creeps in – I am going to miss this when it ends? The melancholy isn’t attempting to rob you of your joy but rather encouraging you to savour every nuance that your mind and body are taking in. It’s the state of sheer appreciation, of being fully present, of being truly happy. It’s pure bliss.
I’m currently searching for a word that describes something so good it’s difficult to describe in words. The definition of such a word would however go a little something like this – the feeling of missing something you already have therefore eliciting an enjoyment to the fullest degree in such a way that it crystallizes into an experience awakening all five senses. With this understanding in mind, we begin to live more in the present. We become mindful of where we are, who we are with, and what we have. Instinctively we start living in our body and acting from our heart centre. The breeding ground for appreciation and satisfaction.
During the visit to a small Greek island with my close friend Sophie, all five senses in me were awakened – the sound of waves crashing on the shore, the tickle I felt when the breeze brushed over my skin, the first sip of a glass of rosé, the scent of the local flora wafting through the warm November air, the sight of the horizon precisely where the sky and ocean kiss producing one perfectly straight line. From these reflections, I suppose a word that closely resembles taking in such an experience is – bliss!
Perhaps living fully in the present moment helps us to shed our inhibitions as there is no room in our relaxed state of mind to think of those things or those people that stall our authenticity. We allow ourselves to dip our toe in the pool of tender rebellion – skinny dipping in the ocean became my personal favourite along with petting as many street cats as I desired despite my lifelong allergy. A cat purring in itself is a state of bliss.
So where do we go from here? How do we reach a state of bliss without jetting off on vacation? Put simply it begins by pausing and breathing – feel the air rushing in and out of your lungs, feel your heart beating in your chest. Begin to recognize the minutiae in your everyday life that bring a smile to your face creating warmth from inside you. And without sounding like a broken record – when you’re in a state of relaxation and happiness feel it and take it in with all your five senses. Record it in your memory!
Bliss is all around us waiting to be captured.
* The vest I am wearing is from Titem – a slow and upcycled fashion designer.
