Lightness: what it is and how to bring it into our life
Lightness is a much explored poetic concept and a way of carrying the weight of life with positivity, to take full advantage of it and sail with the favor of the wind.
It means finding light even in dark moments, seeing the world with a bright gaze and facing the journey with good humor and positivity.
"If the eternal return is the heaviest burden, then our lives against this background can appear in all their wonderful lightness."So wrote Milan Kundera, in his book "The" Unbearable lightness of being ", citing a key concept of the poetics of many authors who saw lightness as a key to living and interpreting life and its bittersweet contradictions.
In fact, he is not alone in writing about this theme which finds its true etymology and truest meaning in the pen of poets and writers, more than any dictionary or technical glossary.
For example, Paul Valery, Marco Tullio Cicerone and Leonardo Sciascia describe the sense of lightness in their sentences, but also the painter Marc Chagall, with his works, was able to "talk to us" about this theme, while not issuing any word.
In short, there are many thinkers who have tried to outline it, but one most of all has managed to make a lucid, precise and poetic portrait of it at the same time.
See also
The poetics of lightness by Italo Calvino
It is Italo Calvino who, more than any other, has spent the best words on this theme, which has become the cornerstone of all his poetics.
In particular, c "is a sentence contained in his book American Lessons, published in 1988, which summarizes the essence of this value and concept: Take life lightly, that lightness is not superficiality, but gliding over things from above, not having boulders on your heart.
The 5 scheduled lessons should have been held at Harvard University and in the "intention of the poet, they had to focus on six literary values to be brought into the next millennium, the 2000s, hence the original title of the book "Six memos for the next millennium". Unfortunately, however, the author died in September 1985 and the project vanished, but the contents of the first edition were then recovered by his wife Esther and reworked, until they took the form we see today.
This sentence is not only the best definition of lightness that could ever be given, but it also shows us in a few words, the trick to face life without getting sucked into it.
Lightness as a synonym of simplicity and essentiality
Lightness contrasts with heaviness, as is obvious, but it also becomes a synonym for concentrates of simplicity and essentiality.
In fact, being light is often seen as a negative aspect, associated with frivolity and superficiality, but it is in fact a misleading consideration that does not respond to the true essence of the most hidden meaning of lightness.
C "is a phrase from Calvino that clarifies this aspect well:
There is a lightness of thoughtfulness, just as we all know that there is a lightness of frivolity; indeed, thoughtful lightness can make frivolity appear heavy and dull.
Italo Calvino
And there is more, contrary to what was said previously, lightness would deny its belonging to the sphere of superficiality, instead reinforcing and alluding to the concepts of precision, definition and determination.
For me, lightness is associated with precision and determination, not with vagueness and abandonment to chance.
Italo Calvino
Therefore, also according to the famous words of the poet and writer, lightness becomes the essence of things, stripping them of frills and unnecessary burdens, taking care of what really matters and dropping all the superfluous that undermines the attention and dulls the mind and thoughts. .
Tricks to bring lightness into everyday life
Based on the suggestions of the greatest teacher on the subject, we can try to adopt this noble attitude in everyday life to make it simpler and free but at the same time intense and aware.
So here are some little tricks to adopt in our daily life to face life in its essence and strip it of useless weights and negative and paralyzing thoughts.
1. Be honest with yourself and others
Being honest and sincere, with oneself and others, allows us to feel good and live in peace with ourselves.
We learn to say no to being assertive. The need to please others before oneself, to please them and not hurt them, is suffocating and counterproductive.
Listening to yourself and your needs is also the best trick to better live relationships with others.
2. Adopt lightness even in language
Avoiding using negative and heavy terms allows us to assume a more positive mindset.
Softer, more delicate language will also help us attract sweeter thoughts and more positive energies and people.
3. Don't judge, focus on yourself
You will find that life is pleasant and light if you focus on your things and stop having an inquiring and judgmental look at those around you.
4. Eliminate the unnecessary
Even physically, not only from a metaphorical point of view: eliminate from your life, paperwork, documents, clothes, things you no longer use.
Practice decluttering and get rid of anything that doesn't make sense now in your life: whether it's an old sweater, documents from the 90s or a vase that no longer finds space in your home.
Then apply it also to everyday life: let go of what you don't need or that belongs to the past, it only weighs down the heart and thoughts.
5. Let go of the weights and ghosts of the past
Make peace with yourself: let go of guilt, remorse, regrets, pending or unresolved things from the past.
If you can face them and close them, if you can't, avoid brooding over them, but accept them and go further: living lightly means being at peace with yourself and enjoying what life offers you.
6. Don't procrastinate
Try not to postpone; if you can, act now and don't leave important tasks or actions pending. By doing so, you will feel more satisfied and fulfilled, in other words lighter.
7. Adopt a positive mindset
Try, as much as possible, to focus more and more on positive thoughts. It drives out negativity as an end in itself, which pollutes thoughts and makes everything more difficult and heavy.
To do this, you can focus on what beautiful you have and for which you are grateful, often aspects that go unnoticed, but also by starting to practice virtuous disciplines for the soul and body, such as yoga and mindfulness meditation; small exercises to start to tune into your deepest self and find inner well-being and calm.
8. Make gestures of kindness
Being kind and helping others makes us incredibly grateful and allows us to savor an infinite lightness.
9. Teach yourself to your passions
Despite the commitments and duties that you have to honor every day, always remember to introduce activities that recharge you and make you feel good.
Everything else will be less heavy and you will feel happier and more fulfilled.
10. Don't forget to love yourself
Be an accomplice to yourself and learn to love and appreciate yourself as you deserve. Only in this way can you truly live with a priceless lightness in your heart.
