This is Sasha. He is a big fat neighborhood cat who I recently just met and who now spends most of his time outside my front door, laying around all day waiting for people to feed and love on him. I’ve been a cat lover all my life and one thing I know is that when I am in the presence of a cat, I immediately feel more calm, relaxed, and lovable.
Whenever I get home from running around all day, no matter how busy I am, I take a moment to connect with Sasha. I run my hands through his fluffy fur, chat him up a bit, and enjoy listening to his melodic meows. He seems to revel in these few minutes of attention I give him and meanwhile I appreciate that he reminds me to slow down and connect.
To connect means to bring together or into contact so that a real or notional link is established. For me connecting is a kind of give and take. Isn’t that what life is all about?
Nowadays more than ever, it seems as though we are connected to a lot of things that are not actually tangible. Don’t get me wrong, the interweb is an astounding invention that I use just as much as the next person. The thing is that the connections we make through technology cannot substitute for the real connections we need as humans to feel alive and nourished.
Just a tip: Try disconnecting from all the things that distract you from being present and take some time each day to connect with something more solid and substantial. The calm you will feel is worth every minute you spared.