It’s hard to go through life with no story — but there are ones we can bring into the our experience that are helpful, even powerful.

Once we’ve dropped our old story, and just experienced life directly, here are some interpretations that I’ve found to be powerful:

• Wonder & awe: We can see everything around us as a miracle. As wondrous and awe-inspiring. This is an appreciation for the incredible nature of life. It’s a practice of loving what is.
• Gratitude: Similar to finding awe in everything, can we be grateful for what’s here in this moment? For ourselves and others? This is not just appreciating what is there, but feeling grateful that you have it.
• Compassion: When you notice suffering in others or yourself, you can generate a wish for that suffering to come to an end, for the person to find peace and even happiness. Send this compassion outward to others. This generates a loving feeling in the heart that adds something wonderful to the experience of this moment.
• We are all interconnected: This is an appreciation that we are not isolated, but instead we are all supporting each other. Everything we have is supported by many others. Everything we do affects others, and can be a positive influence on others. An appreciation of this interconnection is a way to not take it for granted, and to do what we can to positively influence other people.

You might have other stories that help you — stories of empowerment, of love, of generosity. After dropping old stories and experiencing the moment directly, try these stories on and see how they affect your experience.

With this kind of practice, you can create a beautiful experience of any moment.