In Dr. Daniel Siegel’s book ‘The Mindful Brain’, on page 163, Siegel brings up a letter that Albert Einstein wrote to a man whose daughter was coping with the accidental death of his other daughter. I felt compelled to share Einstein’s words with you:
“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”
The optical illusion that Einstein is referring to is the belief that what we think or what we see or what we feel is the absolute truth. Here is the trick: what we are experiencing is simply a side effect of what we are thinking. And as Siegel further mentions Mindfulness allows us to comeback to our senses, to the present moment – enabling us to be proactive (not reactive) towards any and all situations – even painful ones.
So Einstein’s advice is that of being present with our senses, being aware of our experiences, of our existence and connection to others. This awareness will provide a sense of freedom and power that will inevitably connect us to all the beauty that surrounds us leading to a greater enjoyment of our daily lives – under any circumstance.