What is our life about?
About big, impressive moments?
Ok, they may exist and leave a deep impression, but if we do see our lives, we will realise that it is made of small things, one after the other.
Moves, habits, observations, talks, simple encounters, family encounters, simple relationships; all that is most times simple events of our lives, isn’t that so?
Even though most people look forward to having “great” moments in their lives, most moments are quite simple ones.
Is that bad?
I don’t think so. When people live their lives in a natural way, they usually enjoy the “simple” moments they have.

Some of the simple actions of our lives are not even remembered in day-to-day life.

Breathing
Who would live without breathing?
Everyone, without exceptions breathe.
When there is the question: “how do they do that?”, a range of possibilities comes up. Some breathe calmly. Others very nervously. Some learn to enjoy breathing, feeling the air coming inside the lungs, appreciating its movements until they reach the abdomen. Some do not know how they breathe, probably the majority.
A good exercise for those who intend to improve their breathing is to do it in stages; four for instance:
First stage: breathe in, taking about five seconds.
Second stage: a pause, with the air inside.
Third stage: breathe out, letting the air going out smoothly, in about four to six seconds.
Fourth stage: a pause, letting the lungs empty for other four to six seconds.
People who do that are usually in a very good mood.

There are people who do exercises with breathing, like doing it quickly and repeatedly.
The important point is to start paying attention to this “little” aspect that is part of every second of everyone’s lives.

Drinking water
That is another simple thing everyone does, or at least should do.
How many times do you drink water in a day?
Water is a sacred subject. I think that drinking a glass of water is a quite pleasant moment. Like some drink their wine, why not to appreciate that magical liquid called water? Is there anything more refreshing?
Drinking water is a magical moment when we do appreciate doing it. The water does magic.
What’s our planet mostly compounded of? Water.
What’s our body mostly made of? Liquids.
Keeping a glass or a bottle near you helps to remind us about drinking water.

Walking
That is another simple thing. How do we do it?
Do we keep our head up or down? Do we move our arms or not? How is our pace, while walking? To walk is the most basic exercise in life, and yet, the specialists say it is one that may be done for the huge majority of people. Walking is good and walking in nice spots is even better.
To walk and breathe properly helps our health - physically and mentally.
To stop is another simple thing. Isn´t it?
For many it is quite difficult to stop. They get addicted to doing things, and they can’t stop. Here it is a simple thing, but not simple for many.
To stop and observe the scenery means not to stop, but to be there. To appreciate, to feel just happens when you do have this “stop” feeling.

Seeing
The act of seeing is another simple thing. Magic I would say.
Being able to look is a blessing. Here I share my deep feeling of respect for the ones who aree blind. They cannot see many things in a way most people can, with the eyes, but they develop their way of seeing.
Sometimes they see even better than many that have their eyes working normally.
How do we look at things? Do we really see what we are looking at? How are our thoughts when we are looking at something or someone?
Do you look at the eyes of people? How do you do that?
Do you appreciate to observe their look? Do you “hear” the speaking eyes talking to you? Do you “see” the feelings that are flowing through the eyes of other people?
When you are with someone you do like, how many times have you just stopped looking at each other eyes, without saying anything? If never, just do it, as soon as possible. And do it again and again. Start that conversation, it’s a surprising one.

Hearing
Hearing is another simple thing. How many times we do listen to what we hear?
Several times when we are listening to some song or someone else speaking are we really listening to them?
Hearing is a bridge to establish connection, either with other people or with other level of thoughts and feelings. We just leave the edge and go through that bridge to somewhere else.
In communication, hearing is a critical requirement. Critical because most people aren’t used to it.
It’s common to “talk” while listening. Sometimes the thoughts are so many, they “talk so much” that one is not even able to perceive the words others are saying.
Other times the intellect is working so quickly that one person says just half phrase and he is already formulating the response, without even allowing the other person to conclude their idea.

Eating
Eating is another very simple thing.
Eating is not only the process of bringing food to the body. Nowadays, eating is an opportunity to appreciate the moment in several different ways.

One dangerous thing?
Meetings during lunch time. That is so common nowadays. But is it healthy?
Lunchtime, besides feeding the body, is an excellent opportunity to feed the mind. It may work as a recovery time, or as a moment of rest for the mind, intellect and body, allowing them to get relaxed and to have a period of recovery.
While one is eating it is not advisable to think about job or any other task. It is a time to have a break. Few minutes of break helps more than hours of efforts. Just to release the tension and to appreciate the moments while eating helps a lot.
It’s advisable not to eat with colleagues of work or with people doing business during the lunch time. Otherwise, you won’t have lunch, you will really have a meeting and you will throw some food into your body at the same time.
At the same level of damage is the conversation about “bloody” happenings, like assaults, crimes, kidnappings and all this stuff. It poisons the meal you are eating, be sure of it.
Other times, to eat quickly is a poison for the body and for the mind.
In times of fast food it is common to get used to eating fast. I do think it is better not to eat than eating in a rush.

Solution? Create time for your lunchtime. Make it special, even that it means a sandwich near the lake, just by yourself. That is much better than going to a nice restaurant and to have a meeting during the meal.
If a meeting is required in a place like a restaurant, it is better to have it while having tea or coffee. With colleagues, make your position clear: no talks about job during lunchtime.

Practices to be tried:
The idea is to practice them, firstly in easy environments, and afterwards to apply them to your professional atmosphere.

1- Slow motion
Try feeling yourself in slow motion. Walk feeling that you observe things feeling to be in slow motion.

2- Observer
Feel yourself as an observer, as if you were a statue, present in that place but without acting, just being there.

3- Events
Certain times, try to ignore time, as if it doesn´t exist.
Do things as events, one after the other. If they have a schedule, try to do them as a sequence of events.

4- Just arrived
Sometimes try to ignore knowledge. Act as if you were an allien that has just arrived. Just see the things and appreciate them as they are. No need for judging or making criticism.

5- Make connections
When you feel like, just make connections. With people you aren’t used to in the job or in the cafe or wherever you fell like connecting. Smile at them, talk to them and see what comes up.

6- Goodbye Mr. “know-it-all”
Never be the Know-it-all.
Even when you have the answers, practice observing or listening. If you are required, you will fell the best moment to express whatever you have to.
To know much is one thing, to deal with what you know is another question that your level of wisdom will tell.

In a relation - communication, it’s important to establish connections, not barriers.