It’s Hard to Find Your Essence in All the Noise

I had the wonderful experience of attending a close friend’s wedding last night. It was a great microcosm of the world we live in. It was fun, there were lots of conversations, plenty of food, alcohol, and emotions. It was very busy. The pace was like a river that takes us and the people around us through a cacophany of experiences and sensations.

It reminded me of my life previous to being retired and living on the beach where writing, surfing, and reading are my primary activities. I have lots of time to reflect. I have a lot of peaceful times. I have as much time as I want to express myself.

How do I express myself?  I write, I exercise, I surf, I cook, I read what I like, I surf the news, I look for enlightening information as well as negative news on our state of existence.

What don’t I do? I don’t watch TV. I don’t carry a smart phone that keeps me connected to texting and messages every minute. I don’t spend much time on social network sites. I don’t have to worry about office politics.

What are my experiences? I am up at 5 a.m. or 6 when all the world is quiet. I am in the ocean most mornings regardless of the weather. (I wear a wetsuit). I can walk along the beach in the afternoons and watch great sunsets in the evenings. I know a lot of people enjoying the same things that are mellowed out by the experiences.

It is often difficult when flowing down the rapids to get to the shore and reflect on what is passing by. Our lives are passing by and we are often trying to find the most meaningful experiences. We too often look to the outside to find what we want inside. There is so much noise.

I find that each of us has so much value. It is harder to connect with the value in others if we don’t first connect with the value within ourselves. Experiencing who we are by shutting out some of the noise creates the opportunity to listen. 

I find that being healthy, fit, self sufficient, kind, generous, compassionate, and tolerant helps me create a world I enjoy living in. I, of course, fall short of the mark on these objectives every day.  But then I examine what happened and try to do better the next time.

I try to be one of those people that contribute to other’s experience. Separating my self from the noise is a start. Healthy eating and fitness are great connections to nature. Gratitude is a connection. Connection is the essence. Noise can be a great distraction.  Sometimes we want the noise so we don’t have to connect.