As human beings we go through life experiencing. There are endless experiences we can have. Even in one experience there can be limitless variations. Reason for that is, that an experience in itself is neutral. There is no good, bad, painful, joyful, light, heavy, … We are the ones colouring the experience. We dedicate value to our experience. We compare it, we judge it, we label it, we categorise it, ...
This explains why one experience can be totally different for two individuals, even when they are twins.
We look at the experience and we perceive it in a certain context. This context can be very open and unlimited or it can be very restricted, depending on how we got conditioned growing up.
And it doesn’t really matter. What matters is becoming aware that when you experience, you are already, consciously or unconsciously, being fed by a certain context.
The challenge would be, to be with an experience as it is and become aware of what is coming up for you when being in that experience.
Fact is that everything in itself is a totally new experience. Even for random things, like brushing your teeth, the conditions of one moment are completely different than another moment. Therefor, every experience in itself is always unique.
What the brain is designed for, is to assess anything new to what it already knows in order to label it (and mark it as safe or unsafe). So the moment you experience something, the brain goes looking for: have I had a similar experience already? Or: have I heard something about this particular experience from someone else? Have I read or seen something about it that I can relate this experience to? This is the way the brain functions in order to connect the dots.
Unfortunately, what happens often is that this causes the new experience to be coloured already by something which is not there in the actual moment. So instead of being with the actual experience of the experience, your perception is already filtered.
From the moment the brain is capable of linking it to something it knows, and this linking goes faster than light, you are already having thoughts and feelings that are supporting or refusing the experience you are having. It might be as simple as numbing the experience of brushing your teeth with: ‘Oh, it’s just that action again.’
Now imagine for a moment: what could become possible if you were to practice an awareness on experiencing something fully in the Here and Now? When you allow yourself to fully surrender to the sensory sensation of it. Is it possible for you to observe what is happening without giving it a conclusion? Is it possible to taste without comparison? Is it possible to touch and have your complete attention with the touch itself?
That is my invitation for you today. To challenge your brain and see what is possible. See whether you can create a totally new experience of something you thought was common or boring just by surrendering to the uniqueness of the experience as it is.
Enjoy your unique day today!