Finding that inner peace we all long for can be very challenging, especially when living in an urban community. Most of us are inundated with responsibilities and obligations that seem never-ending. We do the same thing every day with different variations, all for the sake of maintaining what we call life. After a while, it feels methodical and robotic.

We grow so attached to our desire for accomplishment that our basic daily routines become plain and redundant—yet we think this is normal. Most people don’t even realize that they’re unhappy, depressed and even angry, because on a core level, they’re bored out of their minds. They look for anything that will stimulate them and make them feel alive.

“Stimulate” is such an interesting word with so many meanings—it can mean arouse, awaken, enhance or excite. On some level, it enlivens our senses and opens us up to different experiences—it can take us to a place of understanding what feels good, what gives us joy and what gives us pleasure. It takes us away from the doldrums and reminds us that there’s more to life. It gives us the energy to express new ideas and revive old ones. For that tiny moment, no matter how long it really is, when we are lifted out of the routine and given a chance, we can transform our lives into masterpieces of art.

Simply by removing the veil of limitation that we fall spell to, we can be free to create, experience ourselves differently than before and discover what we can become. Yet we have to believe, for if we don’t act upon the feeling quickly, it can slip away just as fast. Our bodies and spirits have a natural way of manifesting this effect—it happens every time we smell, hear or feel something. It happens every day and often goes unnoticed for those who are not aware of the moment that is here right now.

Our natural ability to inspire greatness in others is what makes us such unique and creative beings. Everything in our world and environment is vying for our attention, providing an opportunity to react and experience life. The wind can blow upon your face, but if you’re too busy running around fulfilling your agenda, you will miss this opportunity to merge with your senses. It is through these senses that we gain perspective and clarity of our world. While some live for these moments, others let them pass them by, never even noticing the beauty and opulence that surrounds them.

Many people try to stimulate their senses by filling themselves up with toxins that actually pollute and destroy their ability to truly experience the world they live in. How does one quench the fires that yearn to connect us to the greatest experience of being alive, of being able to feel the grass beneath your feet and the wind on your face? Through the awakening of all of our senses, we can evolve and grow into magnificent beings that create amazing things and have stimulating experiences. Not painful and destructive experiences, but the beautiful ones, the ones that Source intended for us.

We now stimulate ourselves through pain, fear, separation, discrimination suffering and war. We have become addicts who look for more negative stimuli in the music we listen to, the movies we watch and the stories we tell. What has happened to us?

A wise medicine woman once told me, “People feel good about feeling bad,” and that we need to detox ourselves from that which is bad by cleansing our senses from the negative stimuli of the world. Only by doing this can we accept all the goodness that life has to offer: joy, freedom, healing, faith, understanding, wisdom, generosity and love.

Here are some things you can do to remove the negative stimuli from your life: stop watching violent films and television, listening to music that is degrading and engaging in conversations about misery, lack and limitation. Stop complaining and focusing on what you deem wrong about this world. Cleanse yourself—be free! Follow me on Twitter or check me out on ShamanDurek.com for more insightful tips.