There’s Magic in the Mundane
I live and breathe movement. Progress. Goals. Action. Accomplishments.
(You too?)
My brain is always interested in what the next move is, what’s next on the checklist, how I want to evolve and improve.
Which is awesome and I love this part of me.
But…
There are down sides of living in that space all the time…
- Burnout
- Feeling lost between goals
- Exhaustion
- Self-criticism
- Losing your SELF in the raceFeeling lost between goals
But if you can instead learn to incorporate the mundane into your life, then perhaps life could look a lot more…whole and fulfilling.
I Hit a Big Goal Recently
A huge one. One of those bucket list items. As soon as I hit it, I got busy moving onto what I thought was my next goal. My next big step towards “success.”
I remember hearing Tony Robbins say something to the effect of “make sure to set a new goal before you hit the current one…otherwise you’ll flounder and fall flat after you reach the goal.” (Totally not quoted appropriately, but you get the gist).
So, even though I was experiencing major highs – and then major lows – I thought it was just because I wasn’t clear about my next big goal. The next big thing I wanted to go after.
No matter how much I dug inside myself, no goal I could think of was really sticking or feeling like “it.”
So, I felt lost. Unsure. REALLY far away from myself.
***
When I Thought I Lost Me
Me, right here.
A kaleidoscope of colors, designs,
Trying to follow the signs,
Out there.
PAUSE
Me, unclear,
Unsure of what path ahead is mine,
Looking for the Divine…
Anywhere.
LONG PAUSE
Now, it’s gray,
Clouded and all blurry,
I’m always in a hurry,
But where am I going…
Nowhere.
PAUSE
Now, I’m scared,
The words of criticism,
Brick walls just like a prison.
I feel lost and unhinged…
Out there.
PAUSE
When I thought I lost me,
You wrapped your arms around me,
Reminded me of who I am.
You gathered the shattered pieces,
Of me that scattered ‘round me,
And gently placed them in my hands.
And Then He Said What I Needed to Hear
“Maybe you don’t need to strive for the next big goal,” my husband said one night as I was talking this out with him.
“Maybe you just need to get outside. Get your hands dirty in your garden and with outdoor projects, and inspiration will come to you.”
Mind. Blown. ????
Lights. ON. ????
Heart flooded with peace. ????
***
Here, I stand,
Surrounded by the silence,
Asking for your guidance,
Ready to be shown the way…
Today.
PAUSE
Now, I hear,
The words that whisper gently,
Are coming from inside me,
My voice of Divinity,
I pray.
LONG PAUSE
When I thought I lost me,
You wrapped your arms around me,
Reminded me of who I am.
You gathered the shattered pieces,
Of me that scattered ‘round me,
And gently placed them in my hands.
***
And So I Got Busy With My Hands…
I began by picking weeds.
I started here because starting my garden (which is something I’ve been wanting to do since we moved into our new place), seemed like a big project that I didn’t quite want to take on yet.
So, I just picked weeds from around the house.
The ones that pop up between bricks.
The ones that sprout beautiful pinks and yellows and dance towards the sun in the mulch.
The ones that spread like spiderwebs over concrete and stick to it with all their might.
I. Just. Picked. Weeds.
My Brain Had to Recalibrate for Such an “Inefficient” Use of My Time. ⏱️
I hate wasting time. It may be my biggest pet peeve. I love being efficient and making the most out of every minute of the day.
So picking weeds felt incredibly hard at first. Because I wasn’t striving for anything. I was just…doing. For the sake of doing.
And it felt so good.
The sun on my back. A soft wind cooling me down. The sound of birds chirping. The air hot and humid. Sweat dripping from me.
Total Presence.
Nothing to check off my list.
No clocks.
Just me. Right here. Hands dirty and one with the earth.
The Mundane is a Practice of Presence
Gardening, washing dishes, sewing, walking, coloring…these activities force us into the present moment with their gentle repetition and their required focus.
Any thoughts of worry or anxiety just simply can’t exist for too long. Because our mind hums low with the energy of the activity. Nothing else.
Our bodies have to show up to perform, and soon, our mind and body sync and we’re sailing on the waves of peaceful presence.
There’s magic here.
***
Me, right here.
A kaleidoscope of colors, designs,
Trusting all of the signs,
I’m okay.
PAUSE
Me, I’m clear,
That whatever path I take,
None of it is a mistake,
I’m okay.
PAUSE
When I thought I lost me,
You wrapped your arms around me,
Reminded me of who I am.
You gathered the shattered pieces,
Of me that scattered ‘round me,
And gently placed them in my hands.
***
Less Striving, More Mundane
Now, I’m not going to tell you to stop moving towards your goals. But…I will say that we can all benefit from more mundane activities in our lives.
How can you step off the treadmill of checklists for a bit and do an activity that feels really “boring” or “pointless?”
As you make more time for the mundane, I suspect you’ll open up more space for peace within you. 😉
A Meditation to Try ????????♀️
If you want a bit more stillness, more presence…here’s a meditation you can try. Enjoy!
Listen to this episode Here! ????
What about you?
What mundane activities have you been called to do lately? What’s been working for you to come deep into presence? Hit reply and let me know. 🙂
???? Katie
Namaste, Beautiful…????
Katie Krimitsos
Creator of the Women’s Meditation Network
katie@womensmeditationnetwork.com
