Many people believe that to live life to the fullest, it takes a lot. We have been conditioned to correlate the attainment of happiness and living to the full with the attainment of material goods. The media masterfully reinforces this relationship, linking a product to an emotion, usually to an emotional state of happiness. This path is hard, long and often leads to relentless cycles of suffering.
I like to say that living life to the fullest is like living every day as if it were your last. When we think like that, detachment from material conquests disappears, leaving a will, an emotion to live. And how can we keep this energy alive in our daily lives, transforming an ordinary day into a fantastic experience?
And my answer is: Bhava, feeling that has always been latent in me (and is in all of us), which I developed and came to recognize more clearly from my yoga practices. Bháva is a Sanskrit word that does not have a literal translation, but is linked to emotion, intention, dedication, to generate an energy of joy and contentment.
When we propose to live with Bháva, we become awake to life, to the finitude that we have and we cultivate a much more present and intense life, because we put energy, contentment and joy in everything we do, which gives us the feeling of be living life to the fullest. It doesn't need much, material things and exuberant things. You need intention, energy, joy applied to every single action of your day-to-day.To start, just understand the concept and start applying it little by little. Started and suddenly noticed that you're back on autopilot? This is normal, start over, little by little you will realize that you will be able to do more and more things with Bháva, which will allow you to live fully, with meaning and with even better results.
Here are 4 day-to-day action tips to start doing with Bháva:
Good Morning: put aside that “good morning in the elevator” and start expressing your “good morning” with true joy and intention, even if it is in the elevator. You will find that people will even be startled with so much joy and will consequently be much more receptive, open and loving. That alone has the power to make you much happier and happier.
Cook: The right time to apply Bháva is to cook a dish with attention, joy and love. Notice how your dish will be tastier, different, or more colorful. Notice the reaction of the people who taste it. The whole process goes from being a chore or boring for many to very rewarding.
To work: do you still think you work for the money only? Start applying Bháva to your activities and start to experience the sense of importance and contribution that you make. Your result will be even better and you will start to worry about the whole and so your actions are more directed to what needs to be done rather than what they tell you to do. You become recognized and appreciated by your managers, as you demonstrate interest, willingness and joy.
Studying: don't study to get good grades, apply Bhava and study to gain knowledge, wisdom in some aspect of your life. You will find that if you apply Bhava, you will have a genuine interest in learning, however simple it may be. You will learn faster and store the information much more easily because you did the whole process with intention and emotion.
These are some tips but you can start wherever you want, even as a challenge, by areas you are having difficulty. For example, if you don't like taking the bus, or driving, challenge yourself to do so with Bháva and watch your well-being transform. You will notice that in the moments you use Bháva, you yourself create a more joyful and intense experience which has the power to lead you to a sense of meaning, of belonging, of doing the right thing and doing your best. When Bháva permeates most of your actions, you will realize how you manage to live life to the fullest even in a very simple routine. And then you'll think that if today were the last day of your life, everything would be fine.
