What would happen if you gave your ego the day off for just one day? That may sound a little crazy at first, but if you want to experience what true peace feels like, this is an exercise you should try.
It won’t be easy, I assure you. You are about to find out how difficult it can be. But as in everything, with practice… you will improve.
So imagine this.
For one day you will not listen to your ego’s complaints, criticisms or concerns. Because just for one day you are just going to “be”.
A good day to try this is on your day off from work when you won’t have others constantly trying to drag you back to “doing”.
Pick a day when you don’t have any specific plans. Believe it or not (regardless of what your ego tries to tell you), your world will not come crashing down because you take a day off. Instead, the opposite will happen. You will truly discover and appreciate what life is really about.
Just for this day you are going to just “be”. you are not going to to think..You are going to appreciate. are not you going to do you’re just going to experience.
Here are some simple steps:
1. Pay extraordinary attention to all five of your senses today.
View – Really look around you today. Notice things you’ve never noticed before. How many beautiful trees are on your block, what kind of flowers is someone growing in the corner garden. How many different colors can you see in one place. The different colors and styles of clothing people wear, or the cars they drive. Lie down on the grass and look for shapes and pictures in the clouds just like you used to when you were a kid. Just look.
Hear: Hear sounds you normally don’t pay attention to. Have you ever noticed that passing cars can sound like ocean waves crashing on a beach if you imagine it long enough? Listen for birds, crickets, cicadas. They’re all there, even in the city, you just haven’t noticed lately.
Feel: Appreciate the feel and texture of things today. Appreciate the softness of your pet’s fur. The soft skin of your child, the feel of a silk blouse or the warmth of the cup for your morning coffee or tea.
Taste – Just for today eat what you want. Forget the calories your ego is trying to make you feel guilty about. While eating one of your favorite foods, eat slowly and appreciate each bite. Roll it around your mouth. Enjoy the texture and flavor. Anything from lobster to ice cream can be appreciated this way. Instead of feeling any kind of guilt about the food, make sure you enjoy every bite, taste, and smell of it. Food really can be such an enjoyable experience.
Smell – When was the last time you literally stopped and smelled the roses or a blade of grass? Or did she burn a candle in her house with her favorite scent? Or put on your favorite perfume or cologne just to appreciate it, instead of just wearing it on special occasions? Take a whiff of baby powder on purpose and remember when your little ones were little. Stand outside your house next to the dryer vent and smell the fabric softener while your clothes dry. (That’s always a crowd pleaser.)
2. Become invisible to others just for today.
How often do you worry about how you look? Do you often “think” about what others are thinking when they look at you? Do you normally worry about what you are wearing, your weight, the color of your hair or if you have something between your teeth? Just for today, pretend you’re physically invisible. Get dressed and shower and the moment you walk out the door, completely forget about how you look. If his ego tries to get in his way, remind him that he has the day off, and today is his day to just experiment. You’re invisible, so looks don’t matter today.
3. Simply listen when others speak to you today.
Do you usually care more about what your answer is going to be than about hearing what someone else is saying? That’s just your ego meddling again. You’re looking for a clever answer or searching your memory banks to try to “get over” someone else’s story. Give him a break today. Just listen, nod and really feel what the other person is trying to say. Don’t try to come back with something clever or clever. Simply listen and give the other person your full attention.
4. Watch the children while they play
Whether it’s your own child or someone else’s. Just look and appreciate how you live in the total NOW moment. Observe a child fascinated with a sandbox. Watch them laugh with glee in a pool or run through a sprinkler. Watch them look at an insect. They don’t care about bills or gas prices. They are so totally in the moment. Appreciate how much calmer you would be if you did this consciously for even a few hours a day.
5. Cherish your pet or other animals.
If you have your own pet, notice today their absolute love and devotion for you. Appreciate what you bring to their lives as much as what they bring to yours. They, too, only exist in the now moment. Absolutely at peace with where they are. If you don’t have a pet, watch the birds in the trees just flying from one branch to another. Nothing else on their minds except what they feel like doing right now. We, too, can be this peaceful if we give our ego time off from time to time.
You see, life is happening all around us and we are missing it! We can all get so wrapped up in our to-do lists that we forget to just BE. Which is really the only reason we’re here in the first place.
So if at any point during this day your ego tries to make you feel guilty about money, bills, chores, cleaning, phone calls you’re supposed to make, etc., remind him that today is your day off and that you will deal with everything tomorrow.
Important note: If your ego is arguing with you, even right now, that you don’t have “time” to do this exercise for one day, that’s all the more reason you NEED to do it.
It means that your ego is already “out of control” and self-inflated with its own importance. He’s trying to brainwash you into believing YOU can’t do without him even for a day.
If you’re acting like your whole life is going to fall apart if even one day goes by without you doing “what you’re supposed to do” you can easily see who’s really in control here and it’s time to tighten your kidneys and let your higher self takes over.
Your life won’t fall apart if you take a day off. In fact, it’s the opposite. It will eventually collapse if you don’t.
Your mind and body can only take so much stress…so much negative thinking. This has been proven over and over again by others.
You deserve this! You work hard… too hard… all the time! It’s time to take some time off.
Make a conscious effort to truly enjoy life for a whole day. It is incredibly addictive! It’s also the first step in learning to do a little more each day to really make life more enjoyable.
Happy Creating!