It isn’t hard to live a deeper life. It just takes commitment.
I find that when I am making the commitment, I feel better about myself and my life in general. I guess that’s good advice for any aspect of living.
For a few weeks now I’ve been engaged in some new experiments that are helping me reinforce my commitment to live more deeply. They’re small to be sure, but the results far outweigh their slight scale.
Walking at Lunch ~ Before eating lunch I’ve been strapping on my running shoes and striking out for a 20 – 30 minute walk. I choose an album or a play list on my iTouch and listen while I walk. Today it was the soundtrack to Across the Universe, yesterday it was Green Day, and Monday it was Van Morrison’s At the Movies CD. The upbeat and rhythmic nature of the music keeps me in step and moving at a brisk pace. Not only is it good that I can walk midday, but it tends to decrease my appetite a bit as well. Win-Win. 
Eating Consciously ~ I have a tendency to eat fast. Sometimes this gets me in trouble and I have difficulty swallowing. If you’ve never had a bolus of food lodged in your esophagus just sitting there midway between your mouth and stomach while waves of peristaltic contractions are trying to dislodge it in either direction…well, let’s just say you haven’t lived. I’ve been slowing down when I eat so as not to have this kid of fun. I’m finding that I’m more mindful of the food and I can experience the satisfaction of knowing it’s nourishing my body more fully.
Sleeping More ~ I generally get up at 5a no matter what day it is. If you’re young, enjoy sleeping in because as you reach your 40s and 50s, it gets harder to do. My body doesn’t require as much sleep as it used to. Still, I’m trying to give it rest periods periodically. On the weekends (I know will make me sound really Grandpa-like) I sometimes take a nap in the afternoon. Big woop, right? Sometimes it’s refreshing and sometimes it’s not. Still, periods of rest are generally a good thing and when I’m resting properly I rarely have to set an alarm.
Establishing Life Routines ~ I wrote about routines a bit ago. I find them comforting and they allow me to access more satisfaction and meaning in life. I like my coffee-making routine and my early morning writing routine. I like my meditation routine and my evening writing routine. I like my morning walk with both my son and our dog and the preparation of dinner routine in the early evening. I encourage my son to adopt routines but his relative youth prevents him from seeing it as anything but boring repetition. As I mature and ease into my 50s, I find boring repetition pretty damned exciting. 
Giving My Full Attention ~ I have a bad habit left over from my days as a physician. When a patient would describe his or her maladies, my mind would be racing ahead of them because I had 7 questions for every one of their answers. I find myself at times following this same pattern in conversations with friends and colleagues and I have to remind myself that I am not diagnosing their problems. I am listening. And so I practice giving my full attention to those with whom I interact. It’s a work in progress.
We are all works in progress. Each day we have the opportunity to improve and grow and be better than we were the day before. Simple activities are often the best way I know of accomplishing this.
What simple activities do you practice to live a deeper life?
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