Have you guys ever felt like life has become too automatic? I read CNN, see 42 dead in three days in Mexico, no flinching, anything. But lately, I've been focusing on finding a feeling about everything. If I focus on eliciting a certain feeling from anything, I feel more alive or in touch with the subject at hand, be it a song or article. I'm always running 13mph everyday and barely have any time to feel anything.

Another example is I'll listen to a song but I don't just enjoy it. It's as if I find an enriching quality to it I never heard before. I'll think to myself, whoah THIS is is what he was feeling when he wrote it. It's almost like finding the beauty in everyday objects.

I know this sounds rather eccentric but it is quite new for me. It's like I've been indifferent to the things around me. But I feel the numbness is in place only so that we don't gaze at leaves for hours a day, noting it's beauty. I seriously know how Walt Whitman felt in his Leaves of Grass now. Just finding himself in a simple blade of grass.

Looks like you discovered the "Miracle of Mindfulness" or "The Power of Now" all by yourself! (This book is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Mindfulnes...0807012394 )

It's true that we're all stuck in routine most of the time. The reason we do things is just because we do them. And we always try to get to the next thing. When you do activity A, you are planning activity B, and worrying about activity C, and trying to get it over with so you can do the same thing with some other activity. While if you are mindful of the present moment, even boring chores can be enjoyable.

Seems like a pretty awesome book. Thanks man!

If I ever feel that numbness about life its usually because Im just consuming and not producing.
So I dont watch tv anymore because of what you just said Traindom and real suffering affects me more I think now. No way to test it but I think so.
I used to do meditiation (midfulness etc) and its really really good for getting you connected again. Another thing I find is that numbness can be overcome by getting back in touch with your body (no not masturbation!) and feeling every feeling is linked with the body very closely. So watch what you consume and watch the body. Those are my two 'rules'.

Yes. I wouldn't want to lose myself in all this chaos. Thank you.

I think it also has a lot to do with personality type...some people are just more emotional. I used to feel weird about thinking I was cold or unfeeling, but as I learn more about different people and their reactions to things, it's very dependent on how they're wired. If you're a more logical or analytical person, some stuff just isn't going to faze you and you really have to make the effort to connect or feel. But Phillip's right about the routine thing...once life is just a series of repetitions it's tough to feel engaged unless you actively think about that moment and truly appreciate it.

(04-14-2011 11:14 AM)Traindom Wrote:  Have you guys ever felt like life has become too automatic? I read CNN, see 42 dead in three days in Mexico, no flinching, anything. But lately, I've been focusing on finding a feeling about everything. If I focus on eliciting a certain feeling from anything, I feel more alive or in touch with the subject at hand, be it a song or article. I'm always running 13mph everyday and barely have any time to feel anything.

Another example is I'll listen to a song but I don't just enjoy it. It's as if I find an enriching quality to it I never heard before. I'll think to myself, whoah THIS is is what he was feeling when he wrote it. It's almost like finding the beauty in everyday objects.

I know this sounds rather eccentric but it is quite new for me. It's like I've been indifferent to the things around me. But I feel the numbness is in place only so that we don't gaze at leaves for hours a day, noting it's beauty. I seriously know how Walt Whitman felt in his Leaves of Grass now. Just finding himself in a simple blade of grass.

Yeah I think we all know what you're talking about. Last night I watched One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest and the ending made me cry. It's weird to go weeks or months with that kind of emotional numbness that can so easily come with an unconscious lifestyle and then just be shocked out of it with something like that.

It makes me very glad I'm leaving my current job in two weeks. I know it'll feel like I'm emerging from a deep sleep to be traveling and only doing the things I love after allowing myself to be stuck in a situation that drags you down for all this time.

Good for you man on leaving your job. Are you going for a more passionate one? Especially great if it was an office job. Just smash your keyboard open on someone's face like Edward Norton haha.