Meaningful Connection #relationship #self-discovery #discovering-others

This morning my puppy had just had his first sip of morning coffee when I suddenly realized I was far from being in the present moment or experiencing meaningful connections. Now, mind you, this isn’t our usual morning routine whereby we both sit down together for a hot cup of java to connect and discuss the plans for the day.

It was more like I sauntered into the kitchen on autopilot, eyes at half-mast. Arms, legs and hands moving without a conscious thought as I fill the pot with water and poured it into its reservoir. Pulling my preferred cup from the cupboard, maybe petting a kitten or two as they wandered in and out of the kitchen. Who can tell, they are nearly identical. At some point the drip, drip, dripping subsided and the steam bellowed from the pot, so I poured the dark liquid into my cup. Before I settled into my favorite spot with my warm beverage I remembered, “Whoops, gotta feed the pup”.

With that task completed, I wandered back into the kitchen puppy at my heels because there is nothing in his bowl more interesting than a possible crumb that may fall to the floor from the counter. When we arrived, I noticed another cup on the counter. Hmmm, I thought, I must have inadverdantly taken two cups out.

Now, for whatever reason I’ve learned to put mugs upside down in the cupboard. I know there are two frames of thought on this: Turn cups and glasses upside down to keep any particles of dust from collecting that may float into the cupboard, or turn them right-side up so that the rim is tidy as it moves to your lips in the event it may have touched something unclean in the cupboard. Cup storage…a complicated business and maybe a blog for another time.

So I, being an upside down cup storage kinda girl, with one fluid and I’m sure very graceful movement I opened the cupboard door and flipped the cup simultaneously. What happened next can only be described as slapstick comedy, and you may have guessed it by now. The cup was full of coffee!

Puppy, floor, my socks all now drenched in the perfect cup of morning joe. If I wasn’t awake before, I certainly am now.

We all have our moments where we are distracted with the days tasks, “in our heads”, or half asleep, but when we are fully present in the moment we have opportunity for meaningful connection with ourselves and others. As we engage our five senses our mind and our bodies relax in a wonderful way. We learn to get outside of our heads by honing in to the other person(s). We can experience more meaningful connections by noticing. Notice what you see. The non-verbals often speak more loudly than words. Get curious. Pay attention to what is being said, rather than focusing on how you want to respond. As far as I know, no one has ever died from a long, silent pause. This can be an opportunity for two people to sit and think together. It creates space to process.

When we practice these things and take our time with asking questions to gain understanding, rather than depending on our own filter to make sense of what is being shared between ourselves and another, we will begin to experience more meaningful connections.