What Soothes You?

 

Dall-E

What makes you feel most alive? What makes you feel most connected?  Satisfied? Proud? 

These are questions we usually think of when we are reflecting, often when we are at critical junctures.  Let's get rid of the old ways of doing and start new things.  Let's set some goals!  

Katherine May suggests a different emotion to focus on.

(from NYT) 

In Katherine May’s latest book, “Enchantment,” she describes how a simple series of actions, like writing that note, helped her to discover little things that filled her with wonder and awe — and, in turn, made her feel alive again.

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Instead of thinking about what you find enchanting, which may feel too difficult to answer, Ms. May suggests asking yourself a different question: What soothes you?

It might be going on a walk. Or visiting an art museum. Maybe you enjoy watching the shifting clouds.

Whatever it is, find a way to do it. Every morning, Ms. May goes outside and smells the air “like a dog,” she said with a laugh. She notices the color of the sky and the way her skin feels against the cool air.

For some people, that soothing moment might be found in a place of worship, or while staring at the moon.