Washing Dishes
When I was about 10 years old, we got a dishwasher for the first time. This was big news for a family with four girls and endless dishes. Although I remember singing together as we washed and dried . . . I also remember lots of discussion/argument about whose turn it was to wash, to rinse, to dry, to put away, etc. The news of the new dishwasher was big… and it was thoroughly discussed at dinner one night. My grandparents were visiting at the time and I still remember my grandpa asking with a smile, “What are you going to do with all the time you save?”
That question still comes up for me as I consider the rush of our busy world… Everything is faster, easier, better. Think about, email, our phones, the microwave, the instapot, computer automations, drive through, a toll road… everything “saves time”. So what do we do with all the time we’ve saved? Unfortunately, here is what I do: I load my plate by filling my calendar with more and more, and then a little more, making myself stressed out and crazy. I take on more projects, activities and responsibilities. All wonderful things, for good reasons, things that make every day busy. It is as if being “busy” makes me somehow more worthy. The idea of busy becomes important . . . I often feel a little guilty for sitting down, slowing down, sleeping in . . surely there is something else, one more thing I should be doing!
So this is the challenge. How do we slow our daily life down a bit, in the midst of our chaotic world? I can admit, some days I’m better at this than others. Here are the things that help: meditation, exercise without headphones, walking, remembering to breathe, a slow and purposeful morning routine, journal writing, do whatever grounds you… keeps you in touch with yourself. Notice how you feel, what thoughts are driving you and what is happening in your body. It is important to get off autopilot . . . that circuit that has you running from one thing to the next without connection to yourself or others. Learn to hear that quiet voice inside that helps you to create peace and joy. A good thing to do with all the time you’ve saved.
Life Coaching can help.