9.
“I shall not allow the devilish
onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles
Williams suggested, "fulfill the moment as the moment." I shall try
to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.”(Clyde Kilby)
Ah yes, yet another
admonishment to live in the moment.
I find it hard to stay mindful
while doing mundane chores like vacuuming or folding laundry. In order to alleviate
the boredom, I allow my mind to wander. Mostly, I think of what else I have to
do on that day or upcoming week…which in turn leads to feelings of further
boredom and dread.
Today, I tried to be present
while I folded laundry. Here is a glimpse into my inner dialogue: This is so pointless. I can think of a
hundred other things I’d rather be doing right now. Ok, pay attention. Fold the
towel. Hang up my husband’s shirt. Repeat. After several minutes, I notice
a change in my mood. I feel a sense of gratitude creeping in. I feel grateful
for the time to take care of my home, family, and yes…laundry. I notice I’m
getting distracted by my gratefulness. So I have to pull my mind back to the
task at hand. Get more hangers, fold, put
things away…
Once the laundry was finished,
I started vacuuming. I tried the same technique of just being conscious. I
watched the lines created by the vacuum, the dust and dog hair disappearing
into the vacuum cleaner. My mind started wandering again. Then suddenly, I felt
this pain around my hip. That got my attention. I started vacuuming more
carefully, mindful of every move. I thought about how pain sometimes forces us
to focus. Except that now I wasn’t really paying attention to the task at hand
as much as my pain.
The paradox of being fully
engaged in the moment is that it makes one even more self-conscious. Mindfulness
should lead to holistic awareness rather than self-absorption. Living well now
involves being present and grateful for the existing moment.
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