Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

breadandbuttercreek t1_iyaa3ag wrote

To have a richer experience of life you don't necessarily need to seek out variety and new experiences, you just need to pay more attention to the world around you. Most people have a very narrow focus on life, just paying attention to the things that seem important. If you broaden your focus of attention you can have a much richer experience of life.

211

JacksonRiot t1_iyamcmx wrote

I think this is a big part of why people have such revelatory experiences on psychedelics, they are capable of broadening your perspective to an extent.

66

Iaskquesti0ns OP t1_iyaaps9 wrote

I agree with this; the basis of mindfulness itself is to bring more into your focus and accept it. Although, in a way, that is more variety relative to the prior level of focus.

24

shoobsworth t1_iyb0f12 wrote

Yes but even paying attention to the world around you will eventually grow stagnant if you’re doing the same things, the same routine. New experiences and variety provide growth.

13

breadandbuttercreek t1_iyb5su2 wrote

Nothing ever stays the same. Of course if you are seeking the good life you should always be trying to improve your situation, seeking new knowledge and experience, but routine provides the bedrock for happiness.

13

shoobsworth t1_iyb6aj0 wrote

I agree to a degree. Routine is safe, familiar. It’s ritual.

That has meaning.

But it’s also paramount to break out of that from time to time. Go out of your comfort zone, have new experiences, throw a wrench in the machine.

9

gallaguy t1_iybvpci wrote

I’ve started meditating every morning. I just set aside 5 minutes to sit down, close my eyes, breathe, then open my eyes and do 20 pushups, and I have to do it before I look at my phone. It helps me start each day with a sense of accomplishment and an appreciation for my immediate surroundings, and that in turn has allowed me to go into new experiences with a perspective that is more true to my current situation.

6

dvlali t1_iydb5iu wrote

Yeah, and I have found that routine, if it is connected to a practice that can be deepened, like painting or a craft (and many other things), is actually a means to consistently have new experiences. It may seem on the surface like you do the same thing every day, but actually you encounter more and more the deeper you go. Like moving on the Z axis instead of the X and Y.

1