How is your practice of awareness coming along?
Another way to think about awareness, is mindfulness. If you google that word alone, you’ll find loads of practices (in addition to the pause one I gave you) to support you in cultivating more awareness.
Today we’re exploring the 2nd pillar of well-being that Dr Richard Davidson identified with his neuroscience research.
Connection
What is connection?
It’s feeling linked to yourself, others, and the world around you.
I’m sure you’re aware that we’re in a crisis of isolation. People have been feeling increasingly disconnected and alone (largely due to technology and smartphone usage.)
These symptoms are often associated with depression, anxiety, and other forms of suffering. Whereas having deep social bonds is a predictor of better health and longevity!
What’s one way you could foster kinship towards a friend, colleague or family member? How can you expand your social net?
When we extend of ourselves in positive ways, such as being generous, studies indicate it activates the center of our brain that is associated with happiness and joy!
There are a myriad of ways to be generous.
Of course, there’s financial generosity, donating funds to help another person or a cause.
But there are other ways, too!
How are you generous with your time?
With your knowledge/wisdom?
With your presence?
Could you extend of yourself even more by being generous?
What is one way?
The invitation here is to lean into connection in an intentional way. Not from your desire to get your needs met, but rather from a heart centered place of compassion and caring. To that end, use the above inquiry to help you extend of yourself and your generosity to create and/or deepen your social bonds and connections.
Have fun with this!
Want more tools to help you manage the chaos of the world?
Sign up today and get them directly in your inbox every Wednesday, FREE!
Image courtesy of The Chaffins on Unsplash