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The refined impression you glean from your experiences after
contemplating their significance, can add a new richness and texture to your
life. Though we humans are self-aware, we
nonetheless cannot distance ourselves from the world around us and have a natural
tendency to ascribe meaning to all that we experience. The significance we
perceive in our experiences is rooted in our observation of patterns as they
relate to ourselves. One situation has the power to teach us about life
because it exposes us to something unfamiliar. Another touches our emotions
deeply by enabling us to see how fortunate we are. Yet our initial
impressions of an experience may not wholly reveal the true significance of
that occurrence because our full response to an experience is like an onion
with many layers that all have disparate meanings. Consider that a sunrise
may stun us visually while simultaneously evoking memories of childhood and
reminding us that each new day is a rebirth. If you take the time to examine your
experiences closely, you will discover that your original impressions may
only be a part of a larger story of significance. Peeling away the layers of
an event or incident can be a fun and interesting process if you allow it. To
begin, relive your experience in your mind’s eye and from multiple
perspectives if possible. Your interpretation of any situation is based not
only on facts but also on feelings, beliefs, and your values. As you ruminate
upon your experience, spend a few moments contemplating how you felt when it
began and how your feelings had changed by its end. Ask yourself what
abstractions, if any, it awakened in your mind. If an experience stirs up
questions within your soul, it may be that in striving to answer them a new
layer of meaning may reveal itself to you. The significance of an experience may
remain hidden to you for some time. The meaning of an event can change when
viewed from another context or may only become apparent after intense
meditation. An incident that seemed superficial may unexpectedly touch us
deeply later in our lives. If you take a truly open-minded approach to your
examination of each new level and do not shy away from revelations that could
prove painful, you will learn much about your relationship to the world
around you. And the refined impression you glean from your experiences after
contemplating their significance can add a new richness and texture to your
life. |
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