What does it really mean to “experience” something?
I think we can experience events on so many different levels, not just from person to person, but in ourselves as well. Sometimes we might be feeling receptive and get a lot more from an experience than if we were busy or distracted. Similarly, some people skim through life, experiencing lots of things, whilst others like to have more time to consider and reflect on events.

Is one of these attitudes better than the other? I think there is space for both of them, both are needed at different times. If we spend all of our time reflecting, we will miss out on everything that is going on around us, but also, if we never take a moment really feel and come to terms with ourselves, we will never experience anything at more than a surface reaction. I think we can often get caught up in wanting to experience lots and lots of things, rather than considering the quality, or depth, of those experiences.

I have found recently that some things I have experienced a million times before can suddenly take on a new dimension. For example, a plant you have walked past every day can one day strike you as something stunning and beautiful, something you have never realised before. Or you can suddenly realise how important a relationship is, when before you had always taken it somewhat for granted beforehand. I love these events. These “How did i not realise that before?” times. Sometimes the most important experiences in life can creep up on us without us realising…