All the things we see around us everyday we start to take for granted after a while. One way I combat this is trying to look at things in a different way. Here is a simple recipe to remind you of the greatness of everyday things (or things you simply become very acquainted with) :
- Look at it from a different angle. Whether it is standing only centimeters away from it so you can see the dust standing on the tip of a needle, or in this cause a cactus, or looking at it upside down. The world can be viewed through a million different angles. Pick one and use it to change your perspective.
- Every person sees from a different angle, so maybe just try looking through another persons eyes. Have a friend or just some random person describe the object in great detail while you have your eyes closed. Is it the same as you would have described it? If it isn’t think about it, why would that person see it the way they do rather than the way you do?
- Think about why you come in contact with this object so often. Just choose a random object you deal with in your everyday life, and think about that object. How different would life be without it? Would you miss it? Or do you need it at all? And if you don’t need it then why are you using it?
- Look closer, not just physically moving closer but look at what it is. People take things for face value way too often. Everything is made out of smaller things. Understand that what you see is not a single object but many. Look at all the tiny details you always look past and fully appreciate how complex life truly is.
Instead of just accepting things the way they are, question. It is the only true form of living, to seek knowledge and awareness. You can only have this if you make the effort though. So tomorrow look at something right up close or lie on your back and look at it from upside down. Appreciate what you have, appreciate every detail that is put into life around you. Nothing is as simple as it seems.
How do you ensure that the things in your life aren’t taken for ranted, share your methods for appreciating and understanding life that happens everyday all around you?
Think about diffusion, things taken for granted habe diffused, or in-fused themselves into your life.. Before realizing them in such sense, you were a different person, dependent on the “weight” the object or idea has, the more it will change your life. A door has been closed. I agree however…
you sound like thoreau. haha
for me, it is not the taking things for granted part, it is the overwhelming tiny things that compound to make the bigger things seem bigger. even love and friendship and other positive emotion can be so significant, that i just feel as if all of everything exists for a reason… it makes me paranoid.
and then theres the bad. we never take the bad for granted. why? it shapes us monumentally more that the happy. think of lessons learned through failure of mistake, think of behavioral patterns that make up who we are, shaped by doing bad things or thinking in deconstructive ways… they make us understand how to make things better by showing us that certain things we do are not ok.
objects have little impact on my life. the world could be bare of objects, and so long there are people, i will forever feel as if the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
life is about balance… and taking things for granted is pushing the balance to one side. it should not be done. but some things need to be left as is, or we may just go insane.
i know i have.
to sum up, taking things for granted is not so pleasant, and rude to your world, but thinking everything is meaningful may be a larger mistake.
ok i think ill stop here.