100 YouTube videos later. Topics studied: Productivity, self care, joys of life.
Why? Why should I talk about life as if it is a blessing even when the fruit tastes a lot bitter than expected and when the rain is pouring down on a day I was meant to be going out? What is it about life that constantly makes me think about it and makes me want to appreciate it for each moment it has to offer; moments of pain and moments of bliss combined?
It’s just another random day in my life. I am working on my assignment. I have pending work to do. I am thinking about the message I need to respond to and the test I need to give the next day. My mind is caught up with the future. It is so preoccupied with the thoughts of what I need to do after this task and what I need to do the next day. I think about the future as if thinking about it will grant me control over it.
I pause.
We all need to pause.
Just stop thinking. Let your mind be free of all thoughts for a minute. Focus on what you are doing right now. Focus on this blog you are reading right now. Focus on the contents of it. Focus on analysing it.
This principle applies to every little thing we do in life. To be conscious of what we are doing is to give our mind space to fully process and find something positive about it. How? When you are cooking and your brain seems to be wandering around in places where resides fear of an unforeseen future, bring it back to the kitchen. Look at the pan for second. Focus on the way your hands move when you cut each vegetable trying to ensure that each piece is perfectly sliced. Notice how this very moment you are cooking something that looks like it is going to turn out to be a delicious meal for you and your family. It could be the best thing you ever cooked. Look at the recipe again. You are doing really well. You’re following all instructions and you are enjoying it because you know that this is relaxing. You are happy about cooking something clean and healthy. You feel a sense of accomplishment in spending your time doing something for your bodily nourishment rather than doing absolutely nothing. Amazing! This is incredibly amazing!
No matter what task you are performing, no matter how trivial, how routine and how boring it may seem, it can have a purpose. All that you need to do is be present in the moment and appreciate its existence, let yourself know that you are doing something that needed to be done. Let your mind know that it should be at peace with only one thought consuming it, the thought of being in the process of accomplishing something. We often make the mistake of waiting to accomplish something before we can truly appreciate it but the real happiness lies in acknowledging the importance of the task while it is happening. The magic lies in present tense. Even more so, in present continuous tense.
Here is to romanticising little moments of our life and sparking joy in our lives and the lives of those around us!
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