“Only the mind can see properly. What is essential is invisible.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Love, friendship, hope, honesty, trust, compassion, faith, empathy, the most valuable things in life are never visible to the naked eye.
These pursuits may be invisible, but they bring substance, fulfillment, meaning and joy to our lives.
Unfortunately, too often, we spend our time and energy chasing the tangible things: beautiful homes, fast cars, higher salaries, more fashionable clothes, and new technologies.
We dream of a future that includes those visible things. We will plan and acquire them. We put a lot of effort into caring for them when we have them, and get jealous when others have more of them.
All the while, those visible things never fully satisfied our souls or brought us the promised fulfillment.
Instead:
- Their charm fades.
- their values decrease.
- Their appearance fades.
- And their satisfaction drops every day.
It’s time to shift focus. It’s time to beat the invisible to the visible in our eyes, hearts and minds.
But how do you do that? How can we learn to understand more of life’s unseen joys?
Here are six ideas.
1. Make the decision to pursue the invisible.
Most changes in life are preceded by simple decisions. Decide today to assign more value to the invisible things in life.
this change in focus Might be so It happens by chance, but it’s rare. Instead, it is wise for all of us to decide for today in our hearts and say aloud, “I make a conscious effort to value the invisible over the visible.” is.
2. Make room in our hearts and minds for the things we cannot see.
Our actions are mostly determined by our heart’s desires and our heart’s thoughts. Make room in your heart for the things you can’t see.
You can do this by slowly meditating (or praying) about these new desires, such as love, hope, compassion, and friendship.
3. Focus on what you can’t see.
Unfortunately, the old cliché is often true.
Turn around and use it to your advantage. What comes to your mind when you think of joy, hope, relationships, and significance? Post that picture or quote somewhere you can see it every day and use it as a reminder of your worth. This helps keep the invisible in mind.
4. Be aware of cultural influences.
Most of the Western world’s culture and economy is built on mankind’s desire to get more, and even tries to encourage it from the moment of birth. Consumption makes economies grow, governments prosper, and the public reconciled. Therefore, I am encouraged every time.
Be aware of the influences that are intentionally or unintentionally being exerted on us. As we do, we become better at recognizing false promises.
5. When you can’t see it, look more diligently for what you can’t see.
One of the reasons physical possessions are such a high priority in our lives is that their existence is never questioned. We can see them and hold them. Whenever I feel lonely, my cell phone and TV are there to distract me. Whenever we get stressed, the mall is right down the street.
But life’s greatest joys are sometimes more invisible. We begin to doubt that we are loved, that our friends are real, that compassion and faith even exist. These aren’t things you can easily pull out of your pocket or turn on with a remote control.
Love exists even if you can’t feel it. Even if the path to hope is invisible, it is there. Sometimes you have to look for it better.
6. Thorough pursuit of the invisible.
If the most valuable things in life are out of sight, pursue them above all else. Even if no one else.
The best things in life are free…and often invisible. Learn to appreciate them more.
