Founder of The Mindful Moment, Dr. Alexandra Domelle explores how you can find joy in a seemingly chaotic world
“The happiness you seek is within.” - Alexandra Domelle
“We are living in a world gone mad,” mutters a passer-by, as he flicks through the day’s news on his smartphone.
I take in his face, etched with the unspoken lines of sleepless nights, the wearied shoulders and reluctant gait as he crosses the street. Everyone around me is on their smartphones, eyes fixed to their screens, fingers shuffling through the vast, unending content of social media.
When did we call become so absorbed in a world of drama, chaos, and fake news that we alienated ourselves from the life happening around us?
So intense has become our involvement in what has already happened or what our fears are projecting as the future that we are failing to live in the only moment, the most important one of our lives.
This moment.
Here.
Had my passer-by friend looked away from his smartphone, he may have seen a daisy growing through the crack in the pavement, smiling its bright yellow heart at the world.
Perhaps then, his boot may not have come down so hard on this bright blossom, crushing it against the concrete, thus obliterating its existence.
And yet through all this, despite being flattened and shattered, the daisy continues to shine, its crushed petals scattered like confetti against the dark pavement.
"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." - Mark Twain
I cross the road moments later, finding my way through the masses. Everyone is busy on their smartphone; eyes glazed, fingers moving, mouths barely open. Shallow breaths absorb their angst and rumination. I wonder how many are desperately seeking love, seeking joy, seeking peace through their interactions on social media, through online dating or the purchase of the current “must-have” item.
How many have dismissed the notion that they too can experience love, joy, and peace in infinite abundance without external stimuli?
And how many are afraid of the insecurities, the phobias, the pain buried in their past, which threaten to rise if they were to start looking within?
Never before have we encountered the sheer number of tools, techniques, and therapies available to us; with some, such as yoga and meditation steeped in ancient wisdom while others, such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy establishing new traditions. New blogs, books, and websites are sprouting, in recognition of the alignment between mind, body and spirit. Individual efforts aside, even global corporations such as Google and Twitter are catching onto the value of holistic wellbeing. Cutting-edge science and ancient art are being amalgamated to develop new ways of thriving.
So what does this all mean for you and me?
It means choice.
You have the power to choose how to live your Life. #LiveYourBestLifeNow
If being attached to your smartphone and the online world brings you the greatest satisfaction, then, by all means, continue choosing this route.
If, however, you feel that there is something within you seeking more, then look up from your screens.
Pause. Breathe. Really breathe.
This is akin to your Matrix moment. The transformation may not be as dramatic as in the movies but is spectacular nonetheless.
All that you are seeking is available to you. In this moment. Right here. Right now.
The questions are within you. And so too, are the answers.
Joy is within you. Peace is within you. Love, unconditional love is within you. All you need to ‘do’ is to be. Simply Be. #TheMindfulMoment
As for the online world and all its attractions? You can visit it at any time.
The secret is in making conscious choices.
There is irony in my suggestion for reducing online time when you are reading this article thanks to the Internet. We are living in an age where sharing, co-creating and collaborating have reached extraordinary levels, bringing new opportunities, new knowledge, and new challenges.
The key is balance.
Explore the online world. Connect. Participate. Enjoy. Choose programs, conversations and interactions that bring you joy, that help others, and that add to your wellbeing.
Then put away your smartphone and your laptop. Look at the world around you. The buildings, the trees, the people. This environment, this planet, this Universe is just as deserving of your attention.
Now, look within. Your body, your mind and your spirit need care too. Use what you have learnt online to bring harmony to your self. This is the greatest gift the Internet has given us: unlimited access to an infinite library of information. And just like any library, you get to choose which reading materials to check out.
Whatever you give your attention to will bloom.
The choice, as always, is yours. #TheMindfulMoment