We Learn Ourselves Through Living

RD: Oh boy – I think very simple things. Very, very simple things that strike you, like, “Oh wow, the clouds look great today.” Or when you see something that’s just so shocking. In general, it’s turning up the volume of the little things. It’s leaves shimmering in the wind and the light. If you stare long enough, you’re like, “Oh my God! That’s incredible!” It’s almost like simplifying what you’re taking in without judgment, without any kind assumption, and people become more beautiful. Rain starts to smell better.
You turn the volume up – which can also go the other way. You can start to see things as, like, “Oh, it’s disgusting,” Part of simplifying is taking something for what it is rather than putting your narrative on it. You return to the center, rather than tipping into an analysis of everything that’s wrong. And as you turn the volume up, you have to be sensitive not to overdo it – but in a way, overdoing it is necessary to understand the line for yourself. That’s the challenge.
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