In the past I’ve been easily irritated over tedious tasks that I had to finish so I could get to what I really wanted to do, whatever that was. Anything standing between me and my desired goal was a potential irritant.
You know what I’m talking about. You need only one more staple and you’re done for the day, but your stapler is out and the supply cabinet is in another office and you have to get the key!
Yesterday I walked six blocks to Starbucks Coffee House, where I enjoy a hot mocha, a good book in a comfy chair, and the ambience and energy of other people. It had been snowing most of the morning and the day before, and many people hadn’t yet cleared their walks, so walking was work and the snow was falling in my face. I felt an urgency to pick up my pace to get quickly to the coffee shop.
I had that morning been reading The Power of Concentration (which I have just uploaded to the free library), so I decided to let go of the destination as the goal and concentrate on enjoying the walk. I had, in effect, made time my ally instead of my foe.
My thoughts came and went without my grasping at any. I concentrated on what it felt like being in my body, feeling the uneven snow underfoot, the cold flakes melting on my face, the light breeze against my cheeks, the song of birds, the coldness of my hands in my gloves, my heartbeat and breath.
With no pressure of getting to the destination and no attitude that the snow was a hindrance, I thoroughly enjoyed the walk.
Enjoy the Task at Hand
It’s easy when we’re feeling stress to rush through things that need to get done. But all of life consists of needing to get things done. And if we say, “This has value to me; I will enjoy it” as contrasted to “I don’t want to do this; I hate it,” then we compartmentalize our lives into pleasure and pain. We lose the joy of simply being alive.
Concentrate on one thing at a time. Enjoy it. Be in the moment. Don’t think about the future. When thoughts of the past creep in, take note of them and let them go, and return to the task at hand.
Just appreciate your physical capacity and think of your connection to Source. With time this will become a habit, mundane chores will become enjoyable, and you’ll discard irritation for the wasteful and harmful emotion that it is.
And here’s Paige, a young girl I met who is ten years old, wants to be a “successful obstetrician” and has a lizard tongue.
