Peace of mind is found only in the present, when you exist squarely in the moment, neither re-living the past nor anticipating the future. It amazes me what a deep sense of equanimity I can feel doing something ordinary like washing dishes, wiping a table clean, or sweeping a floor, so long as I am focused on it 100%, not wishing I was somewhere else. A quietness of mind, feeling neither elation nor heavyheartedness. Just being. Mind like a glass lake. 

Times like those, when I’m cleaning a dish, only the dish and I exist. My purpose is clear and the only important thing is to get that dish sparkling. 

That’s why I believe that ordinary things can be a sort of spiritual practice. Repetitive activities can be meditative in a way, or at the very least, reflective of how much noise there is in your head. Simple activities can be the most difficult to do properly. If you can’t clean a dish properly, chances are, your mind needs a bit of cleaning as well. 

What with all the distraction around us nowadays, how often do we really engage fully in the present? When are we not thinking about the latest Facebook status update we saw, or the last video we watched on Youtube, or the last phone conversation we had? Mentally, it’s as if we want to be anywhere other than where we really are.  

I’m grateful for the mundane tasks that my job presents me with, tasks that put me on firm ground, and remind me that the present, though not necessarily as exciting as what’s trending on Twitter, is the only real thing I have and something I often take for granted. 

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    agree indeed, :)) alas-dos:

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