Why are we so impressed by the sky? Is it a longing for the unknown, awe for the light show, or the constantly changing image? Is it because we see ourselves so small in our subconscious or because we feel how lifeless we are without “our” star or other stars? Whatever the reason. It gives you a calming, satisfying, and grateful feeling. When you catch the sun’s rays, especially at sunrise or sunset, your heart warms up.
It’s a blessing to live on this Earth – Thank you!
The way we live our life is a choice. But it comes not without a cost. In every moment, you have to make choices. You can only choose one option out of an infinite number of possibilities. So once selected, you have to live with your choice. And the more important it feels for you, the greater the sacrifice during and after the choice.
Sure, sometimes you can reverse your chosen path. But it is another point in time; thus, it is not the same. How to handle this tricky situation? There is no right or wrong, and it’s just the process of life. Trusting your intuition seems to be often wise advice. So trust your gut and heart and try to be aware of the consequences.
Isn’t gratitude often the key to a more meaningful life? Expressing gratitude expands our hearts and lets us feel better. But because we are so busy with our thoughts and what we want to accomplish, saying a thank you or expressing gratitude in a similar way can be forgotten.
“What we appreciate appreciates.” We learn an appreciation for the service of others in our youngest years. But what is more important than expressing gratitude and not just thinking about it? Thinking and praying gratitude is a very healing practice, expressing makes it even more tangible for others and ourselves. It is a blessing for others and fuels our relationship with them.
As A.A. Milne, author of Winnie-the-Pooh, so aptly wrote “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” The littlest of gestures can fill your heart with gratitude and joy.
So choose to be kind, not right, and make others feel important!
Don’t we often want to get things done or receive material goods and accolades as soon as possible? The easy way looks often like the most obvious and desirable one.
However, as Les Brown puts it so well, “if you do what’s easy, your life will be hard. However, if you do what’s hard, your life will be easy.” When you choose the easy way, it benefits you probably in the short run but costs you more in the long term. Additionally, the easy way seems to give you rather a less relaxed feeling of having done something valuable. Suffering seems to be an inherent part of our life. Even “to love is to suffer, to suffer for and with others.“
What’s interesting is that people often overestimate what they are able to achieve in the short run but underestimate what they can achieve in the mid- or longer term. So “active patience” seems to be a solid option. That means being patient, but still executing consistently because consistency compounds.
This principle keeps your stress level hopefully on a more balanced level. It’s on you – you have the choice – so choose wisely!
What are we striving for in life? What do we often or at least sometimes miss? Isn’t it, amongst other important needs and desires, a feeling of aliveness? Aliveness is the state of being alive, defined as vigor and intensity, often also associated with joy, vibrancy, enthusiasm, presence, consciousness, adventure, awareness, expression of a cheerful moment in life, joie de vivre, passion or exultation of spirit.
I was always amazed by the aliveness and positive mood of my father, who spent most of his days outdoors and was practically never sick. Thus I asked myself, in which moments do we feel most alive in the sense of a strong body feeling? I tried to summarize my personal experiences of intense moments:
Personally, I feel most alive when I do intense interval workouts, especially running sessions.
What makes you come/feel alive?
What is one of the most effective sports? Effective in terms of benefits for body and mind? I often asked myself this question and I frequently listed Norway’s national sport, cross-country skiing, at the top or close to the top. Why? Here you go:
This can be enhanced by mixing both cross-country techniques, skating (freestyle) and classic, also known as skiathlon.
If you find more benefits, please text me or send me an email, I’m more than curious. Now go out and let your skis fly over the snow!
Try to go to the most remote place. Somewhere where you can no longer hear anything. And – can you hear it? There is always a sound, isn’t it? Aren’t waves perceptible everywhere? From the out- or inside or just as a reflection.
Pristine silence is so precious at these times when everything becomes busy. Quiet times in nature give you peace of mind and gratitude. When we are outside in the green or at less busy hours, we feel more relaxed and experience less distress. If we still feel stressed, it is more in the form of eustress, described as moderate or ‘normal’ psychological stress, leading to a beneficial response.
When asking other human beings what their deepest silence moment in their life is, they often respond with the following moments of:
Sometimes it is a quite loud atmosphere around, but room for true silence often comes from looking at the internal state of quiet. Actually, the absence of noice, as silence is often described, sometimes seems to be scary or uncomfortable.
Now it is your turn. Think about silence and let your auditory sense be silently inspired.
Forgetting all we have achieved, all we have materially acquired – what counts is the precious present moment. What more do we have? It is not by chance that our health is our wealth. Richness comes from a deep feeling of gratitude. When you ski through the Norwegian forests and fjells, sometimes meeting a person or animal, it becomes clear that presence is key. It not only unlocks your curiosity but often liberates you and makes you more playful and joyful.
What is more inspiring than nature? Who is a wiser and nobler teacher than nature itself? Norway for me represents the ‘purity of nature’. Maybe because of some heroic athletes, maybe because of the harsh winters, maybe because of the sheer beauty of the country with all the breathtaking fjords and vast fjells. Here my heart turns upside down, my attention is more in the present moment, I am feeling a little bit more alive.
On the one hand, exercising in front of a magnificent winter backdrop strengthens your muscles, lungs, and cardiovascular system as well as your body balance, and gives all your senses a fresh kick. On the other hand, and here I quote from the official site, it is a way of contemplation and reflection about nature and oneself, a relaxing pleasure for spirit and soul. With this in mind, let’s start the adventure for the next about three weeks.
Here is a useful link:
Don’t we often try to understand everything with our head/mind? Thinking on and from the feet is often underrated, even though we spend so many hours walking, running, or jumping around. Our upright posture puts more or less strain on our feet every day. Keeping this in mind and as a running addict I discovered Vivo Barefoot Shoes. I was quickly attracted to the philosophy and concept due to the following reasons:
So, the idea of some form of collaboration captured my interest and here we are! Thanks to Vivo, I’m thinking daily with my feet (heart)! It just feels better. Thank you so much Vivo Switzerland!
CH- Bern
Mobile: +41 (0)79 790 57 75
E-mail: lukas.staehli@gmx.net