I think that your level of joy in life is directly related to how intimate you are with it. If you are cut off, disconnected and numb, you’re most likely not going to feel much joy. If your mind is constantly full of chatter, you won’t be living in the present, you won’t be practicing intimacy with life. In the same way, if you’re thinking about the future all the time, you won’t be recognizing the beauty happening right here and now, before your eyes. When is the last time you felt your feet and pressure on your soles as you walked along the sidewalk? When is the last time you felt the fresh air, admired the beautiful blue sky and saw the beauty in the trees lining your street? Any answer other than today I think is too long.
我認(rèn)為，一個人生活的快樂程度與你同生活的親密程度直接相關(guān)。如果你與生活隔絕，封閉麻木，你很有可能就享受不到多少快樂。如果你時常滿腦子的抱怨，你就沒有生活在當(dāng)下，你就沒有與生活建立親密關(guān)系。同樣的，如果你終日為未來擔(dān)憂，你就意識不到此時此刻你眼前正在發(fā)生的美好事物。你最后一次在人行道上行走時感受到腳底傳來的力量時是什么時候？你最后一次呼吸新鮮空氣，贊嘆晴空萬里的藍(lán)天，駐足欣賞街道兩側(cè)樹林間的美景是什么時候？如果回答不是今天的話，我覺得你實在是太久了。
One way that I’ve realized greater intimacy with life has been carrying a digital camera with me wherever I go. I recently developed this habit and anytime I’m walking (I walk a few miles at least daily) and I see something I find interesting, I turn my camera on and take a picture of it. I make sure the batteries are fully charged before I leave so I don’t have to worry about seeing something strikingly beautiful and I can’t take a photo of it. What this has done for me is helped me recognize beauty in things I never would have noticed otherwise. I might see some peeling paint on an old wall and photograph it. I might take a picture of an old abandoned building and start to wonder what the story was behind it. I might see an interesting flower or two trees tangled together and be inspired by them. Whatever it is, chances are I wouldn’t have become as intimate, as close to these things if I wouldn’t have been taking their photo. I’m not saying you can’t do this without a camera, I’m just saying that this has been a great tool for me in realizing more of a wonder and appreciation for the world I live in.
讓我能夠與生活更為親密的一個辦法就是隨身帶著數(shù)碼相機(jī)，走到哪帶到哪。我最近才養(yǎng)成這個習(xí)慣，我走路時（我每天至少步行一公里），隨時發(fā)現(xiàn)有趣的東西，我就打開相機(jī)拍下來。每次臨走前我都要把電池充滿，這樣就不必?fù)?dān)心看見令人心醉的美景而沒法拍下來的遺憾了。這樣，我就可以發(fā)現(xiàn)原本從來不曾發(fā)現(xiàn)的美好事物。我也許看見一面老墻上剝落的彩繪就拍了下來。我也許會給一個廢棄的老建筑拍張照片，然后開始探尋它背后的故事。我也許因為看見了一朵有趣的花兒或者兩株纏繞在一起的樹而受到啟發(fā)。無論怎樣，如果我沒有把這些拍成照片的話，我就不可能和它們有如此緊密的關(guān)系。我并不是說沒有相機(jī)你就做不了這件事，我只是說這是我的一個極好的工具，它幫助我認(rèn)識到我所生活的這個世界里的美好和神奇。
Another tool that has brought me closer to and more in tune with life is meditation. When I just let my thoughts go and am not trying to make a story or talk about things in my mind, I’m able to see things as they are. I can see a tree and not have to name it, I can see a bird and really see it, I can see the sky and see that it is much more than the word sky in my mind, I experience it as it is. When you see things instead of thinking about them, you experience them as they are, and life is experienced authentically.
另外一個讓我與生活更加密切和諧的辦法就是冥想。當(dāng)我任憑思緒游走，不刻意為腦海里的想法編譯解釋的時候，我就能看見事物原本的模樣。我看見了一棵樹而不必叫出它的名稱，我能看見一只小鳥并且真的看見了，我能看見天空并且在腦海里看見了比天空這個詞匯多得多的內(nèi)容，我感受著它本來的樣子。當(dāng)你看見了事物而不是想象他們，那么你就感受到了真正的他們，而生活的體驗就是真實的。
Finally, the biggest way I’ve become more intimate with life is I’ve stopped trying to multi-task. I no longer try to read my email while listening to voice messages and eating my breakfast. I don’t try to work-out, watch tv and vacuum the ceiling. I also haven’t washed the car while reading the newspaper on the treadmill lately. I take things as they come, and not only do I realize greater intimacy and a connection with what I’m doing, I’ve become better at everything I do. When I’m only focused on reading my email and nothing else, I retain information better. When I’m working out and my mind is only focused on the muscles I’m working, I get a better workout. The benefits of only focusing on one thing at a time, to me, are far greater than any time I’ve multi-tasked, having the illusion I’m getting more done when I’m really just spinning my wheels.
最后，讓我同生活更加緊密的最重要的方法就是我不再一心多用。我不再一邊看電郵一邊聽語音留言還一邊吃早飯。我不會再盡量同時干兩件事，邊看電視邊用吸塵器吸天花板。我最近已經(jīng)不再一邊洗車一邊看健身器上的報紙了。我學(xué)會了順其自然，我不僅找到了自己與所做的事情之間存在的更多的關(guān)聯(lián)，我不僅熱愛我做的事情，而且每一件事情我都做得更好了。當(dāng)我只專注看電郵而不敢其他事情時，我記住了更多的信息。健身時，我只想著我正鍛煉的肌肉，結(jié)果我得到了更好的健身效果。對我而言，一次只關(guān)注一件事情的效率比我此前一心多用時的效率高多了，往往造成一種事半功倍的錯覺。
I hope you can see how much your intimacy with life can change your quality of life. If you have any other ideas on how to achieve greater intimacy, please share your comments with us.
