The Sense of Time (Part 4) - Make every day SENSE-a-tional !

Happy Tuesday World!

Does it seem like the days just pass? Just like that!

Wake up, get ready, make small talk, work, eat, social media, sleep, repeat.

It is the curse of our society and also the tipping point - besides war, there is nothing that could be more T.I.M.E. consuming than our lives in a fast paced world when you feel guilty for chewing your food at lunch time and using the restroom more than once while at work.

Back in 2012 studies have found that one in ten Americans suffer from depression*, and 20% of Canadians will go through a major depression period in their life spam *. Yicks!

How did we come to this?

Why are we spending our days being depressed rather than vibrantly living each and every single moment?

Why does our cappuccino even taste like depresso instead of SENSE-a-tionally nourishing?

There used to be a time when we would wake up in the morning, take a deep breath in and feel the cool air through our nostrils. The air would be thin and clean, our dark circles would be... well, not there, the coffee would boil on the stove and soak into our lungs, we would kiss the freshly shaved cheeks of our man, the noses of our children, get out the door, do our thing, come back home and go to bed saying "That was a good day". And not because it was all paradise, but because we said so! When we woke up in the morning, we said:" "This is going to be a good day! Period."

Yes, we said so! Not the society and media propaganda, but we! W.E. said so.

Just when we thought we had the coolest gadget, iPhone 6 comes out and tells us all the reasons why we should not want our current iPhone. The result then is you hash-tagging #fml...

(Think for a second)

The pessimists would now say :"Well well! Miss sunshine is a dreamer... Back in the day we didn't have to worry about our jobs being outsourced, our mortgages enslaving us into labour, our neighbour breaking into our homes, our credit score being wrecked by the indispensable need of consumerism. Life was easy back then. Nowadays, things have changed. So, why don't you, miss sunshine, take your advice and throw it in the garbage can? How's that for a lesson? What do you say?"

I say, thank you for proving my point!

I still love yah, we are still friends, BUT know that you, the pessimist, are the victim the of marketing and sales wars - you feel incomplete. I.N.C.O.M.P.L.E.T.E.

We, as a nation, are starting to feel incomplete without having the following: nice cars, big houses, double d cups, Nicki Minaj booty implants, 8 inch errections, designer clothes, diamond rings, XBOX and PlayStation, and as you know the list goes on and on and on and it won't ever stop. Feeling incomplete leaves us unwanted, anxious and depressed about the quality of our lives. Our incompleteness leaves us ravished and robbed of the self- you are the lesser...

What is wrong with being the lesser?

Everything!

In a world where we admire air brushed females and steroid pumped males, we aspire to authority and hierarchy in all aspects of our lives, we dump the shy guy over the fly guy, being lesser makes you the black goat of a consumerism society.

What do you mean you don't want abs? Everybody wants abs? Eat powder all day long and drink water.
What do you mean you are not a leader? Don't you want this job? Sorry, you are not fit for our position.
What do you mean you are not into porn? Don't you have fantasies? Get on some subscriptions for crying out loud!

Can you tell how we have transitioned from a loving robust society to a consumerism incomplete nation?

Does it make sense now why we are spending our days being depressed over feelings of incompleteness when, instead, we should find a way to return to our SENSES...

I found a way to do that... I actually found a few ways to make the best of each and every single day.

In fact, I found a way to make every day SENSE-a-tional.

Here is how!

1. Make the money, don't let the money make you 

- as Macklemore so genuinely puts it.
Most of our headaches revolve around money and financial security. There is nothing wrong with wanting money and wanting to have nice things as part of your life, but having this as the sole purpose in your life time is dangerous for your mental health. Instead of asking ourselves "How can I leave my footprints on the world?", we ask " How can I make more money?". If you have got money on your mind and your mind on your money, remember this: at the end of it, we will all be a few feet below ground surface, rich or poor. So instead of being depressed over never having enough money for anything, think of ways that you can increase your value, ask for a raise, or simply upgrade your skills or education. Wake up in the morning and do something every day that will help you leave your mark deep, and stop worrying about all the things that you can't buy - you already have a lot of crap, admit it!

2. Bring moments of pleasure in your every day life. 

Whether it is calling an old friend, having a freshly ground cup of coffee, meditating for 20 mins, kicking it back with a glass of wine or cuddling with your love, make an effort to do these things that may seem so little, but will make the world's difference in your day. The point here is to create these moments based on your preferences. Please be advised that chocolate will not place itself in your mouth, nor will wine pour itself in a glass, as won't the kisses that you give to your loved ones, nor positive thoughts will engrain in your mind. Make an effort to create small pieces of happiness in your day and allow them to do their job i.e. make your life more enjoyable.

3. Witness the moments that are happening around you.

 What I mean by this is... exchange being numb and indifferent to those around you with being observant. Observe what goes on in your environment and analyze it from your perspective - if I were to do X, how would I feel? There is nothing I love more than people watching. Especially couples. The young ones who walk on the street in the famous trio: girlfriend, boyfriend and the girl's bff, the grumpy ones that argue over how many creams is healthy to put in your coffee, the lovey dovey couples that stare at each other with that insatiable look of everlasting promises, rocky roads and finish lines. So while being out there making a change, select the positive emotions that are screening around you and block the rest. If things get out of hand, remove yourself from that environment for a few minutes, have a square of chocolate in the fire exit area, and come back with a fresh mind.

4. Create and stay in motion. 

Keeping your body moving whether by means of taking the stairs over the elevator, scheduling in time to workout by yourself or with a trainer, going shopping rather than purchasing everything from online stores, or simply taking a walk over watching TV, will help you release mental and physical stress. We have a two way system of creating stress with two major components: the mind and the body. An impatient and anxious mind will actually create aches and pains all over your body. Have you ever heard that people hold their stress in their hips, or shoulders or backs? Or, better yet, have you seen the commercials for antidepression meds? "Depression hurts! But it doesn't have to" - message here: pop the pill when feeling less than complete. How about, go for a run when the blues kick in? Creating and staying in motion does exactly that - it releases mental stress, decreases the amount of cortisol our body produces a.k.a. the lesser villain, and rewards you with lots and lots of happy hormones. So, depression hurts! But motion can change that!

5. Acknowledge what you already have. 

Stick to your senses and the experiences they bring for they are the skeleton to feeling complete. And don't just acknowledge their presence "Oh, hey nose. Thanks for bringing smell to me", but praise them for the value they bring to your life. Keeping a journal and writing down minimum three things that have happened in your day which you are grateful for will do just that: raise your awareness of what you already have. Turn your TV off one hour before bedtime, grab a cup of tea or wine, and write in your diary. Focus on the positives in your day and all the small accomplishments that went unnoticed. It could be that you didn't puff at your boss, or that you made the cashier's day better, or that somebody else put a smile on your face while you were doing your empty stare in the subway. In doing so, you will fall asleep thinking about how amazing your life is rather than feeling anything less than SENSE-a-tional.

The truth is nobody can tell you how to live your life and what should make you feel complete. Being happy with who you are, making your own rules and revisiting from time to time is all you need. 

The only question that you should ask yourself all day, every day is 

How do I feel about this?

Making every day SENSE-a-tional is a simple choice. 

So choose to change your attitude towards money, create small moment of pleasure, see all that surrounds you, stay active and be humble for all that you have right now!

Have a SENSE-a-tional day!

oxx,
Andrina