Being with a newborn can often be super fun and rewarding and at other times it can be incredibly boring. There’s not a whole lot of interaction happening yet but there is a lot of extra laundry and additional housework because we’re home more often. But in the moments when I’m thinking I might go crazy if I have to wash the poop out of one more diaper, I remember something I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “Peace is Every Step”. Every mundane moment of our lives is an opportunity to be present and enjoy life.
I want to say that again, because I think it bears repeating. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to be present and enjoy life. That means that at every stop-light, every time we’re waiting in line at the store, and during every load of laundry we are given a gift. The opportunity to enjoy the moment is always there.
As I was reading Peace is Every Step, I read a particular passage about dishes. At the time I HATED doing dishes. I avoided them, pushed them off on my boyfriend or housemate, and if I was forced to do dishes I grumbled and cursed my way through the experience. I was definitely NOT enjoying any part of the experience.
But then I read Thich Nhat Hanh’s words about enjoying the warm soapy water and mindfully washing each dish with care and a switch flipped inside me. Suddenly I realized that as much as I love hot baths, doing dishes was like a warm soapy bath for my hands! And not only did I enjoy the warm water, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I transformed a sink of dirty dishes into a cupboard full of clean ones.
Pretty soon, I started to enjoy even more of the mundane tasks of life. I began to love folding the warm clothes just out of the dryer, sweeping the floor, and doing the grocery shopping. In my office I began to hum to myself as I filed paperwork or loaded a new ink cartridge into the printer. And now, rather than getting irritated at a long red light or when another driver cuts me off, I just relax and enjoy my time in the car. I notice the sunlight streaming through my car window or I see a beautiful tree as I’m driving by.
In life, we all have mundane tasks to tend to whether we like it or not, so why not enjoy them? I know that for me, this change has made a huge impact on my overall enjoyment of life and I hope it will for you too.
So, this week, try to enjoy the mundane moments of life. If it’s difficult to find something to enjoy in a given situation, tune in to your five senses and ask yourself, “What do I see that I enjoy? What do I hear that I enjoy? What do I smell or taste or feel that I enjoy?”
I would love to hear how it goes! Warmly, Shelly
Thanks. It’s so true that we all choose what we are going to focus on. And it is easy to live in the past (remembering) or the future (worrying) instead of being in the NOW. This was a great reminder. Thank you thank you.
This reminds me of something my girlfriend once told me about being in debt. When I was young (so this memory has stayed with me for a long time) I was so mad at how quickly I had run up so much debt. I was angry at the credit card companies for this. My girlfriend told me I should be grateful that someone trusted me enough to advance me the money to pay for things I needed. She told me I shouldn’t be angry but relieved that I was able to make it through a tough financial time. She was right. And it changed my way of thinking. And that way of thinking has carried forward since then. Very similar to what you have expressed above. Thanks for keeping it ever present.
Yes! It’s not about doing the dishes…that’s the chunked up term. For me too it has become about the little details and getting passed the meanings and judgments I have previously attached to “doing the dishes”. It becomes about the senses then. It becomes the enjoyment of the sound of the crunch of the bubbles bursting as I put in my hands, the enjoyment of the squeak of a clean plate, the warmth of the water on my hands, the splash of the water against my skin. The chink of the china. And the attitude that I am caring for the things that God has blessed me with.
Love it!