It happened in a workshop that I was facilitating about 8 years ago.
There were eight participants in total. Each person was going through a traumatic experience dealing with the effects of long term unemployment. The topic that day was self-marketing, promoting yourself to an employer; a task that can be very challenging to someone who has been out of work for a long time.
Throughout the lively discussion, a woman who had been very chatty all of a sudden became very quiet. I monitored her occasionally as the discussion continued but then one by one everyone stopped talking and eventually all eyes gently rested on her. She closed her eyes and when she opened them tears streamed down her face and she started laughing and crying simultaneously. Chills went through me. We all sat in complete stillness and watched as she lifted her head up above us with a great smile and said, “Thank you, I finally got it!”
That was when I knew I needed to be a part of people’s self development. I think about this experience a lot because I believe it was the first time I was truly present in the moment. There was nothing missing in that moment. Nothing could be added to make the moment better. It was a perfect moment. I felt bliss. AND it was selfless – I didn’t need to do or be anything, I just needed to witness it.
I became intrigued with this feeling and tried to think of other times in my life when I have felt close to such bliss. Here is what I came up with:
1. Sun/Beach
2. Yoga/Meditation
3. Teaching/Learning/Writing
4. Dancing/Music
5. Nature
Today, I create my life ensuring that I include as many of these five activities as possible.
What five things make you happy? Blissful?
What can you do today to bring them into your life?
