Writing recently about my visit to an art gallery reminded me of an approach to galleries and museums I’ve sometimes adopted. Faced with a wealth of glorious or fascinating exhibits – and the risk of quickly feeling overwhelmed – I choose instead to focus my attention on just one object in each room.

Believe me it takes real willpower to turn my back on a roomful of impressionist paintings in order to sit quietly with a single Van Gogh, really paying attention to the brushstrokes, colours and the feeling of the piece. But it also delivers greater rewards: opening windows in my mind and soul which otherwise slam shut in the face of sensory overload.

I think the same is true in many other areas of life. I’ve never forgotten the experience of eating a simple hard boiled egg after illness had starved me of food for five days. It was as if I’d never tasted an egg before: the richness of the crumbly yoke contrasting with the delicate milky yoke. Honestly, no five course meal could have delivered as much flavour.

Then there is music, which I often have playing in the background via the radio, almost unremarked; a (not) listening habit. Such a very different experience from the evenings when I dim the lights, settle into the sofa and consciously listen (and experience) a piece of music I’ve chosen to play.

I am beginning to see that my intention to squeeze more living from this year does not always require me to be off doing something, visiting, planning exciting trips and adventures. A richer life is available in any moment we choose to live it mindfully, narrow our focus to the experience we are having right then, pausing, noticing, seeing, hearing, tasting, touching feeling – just not necessarily all at once.

Allowing enough to be enough.

*** what day to day activity could you do more mindfully in order to breathe more life into it? (Actually breathing is not a bad place to start!) Bringing more awareness to the perfume or feel of the water on your skin in the shower…really savouring the first bite of breakfast (or choosing something entirely different from usual to awake your palate)…doing a few gentle stretches as you get dressed…opening the backdoor and really breathing in the look and feel of the day before you reach for the To Do list. Or anything else. Let me know what works for you.

Photo by Mustafa Bashari on Unsplash