This week I am focusing on small things that bring me peace and I will share a few of these small things each day. Right away, I want to reassure you that I have in no way, shape or form mastered the art of finding peace. It's my ongoing quest. But I have run across some small habits that, when I remember to implement them, bring me back to my core.
One Event: This is probably the most difficult thing for me, but it always brings me the greatest reward. When faced with two or more events or activities at the same time, I try to choose one. This is instead of arriving late to one event, then leaving early, then arriving late to event #2, etc. etc. This applies to work events, family events, holiday gatherings, etc. I have found that even when I can make the logistics work, if I have more than one event planned, I am never really fully anywhere. I am simply "one with the clock," constantly worried about when I should leave, when I will arrive, etc.
Iphone Away: Another tough one for me, but helps clear my thoughts, even for a short amount of time. My iphone serves as alarm clock, flashlight, phone, email source, text source, entertainment, running timer and more. The problem is, that if I "quickly check" for something, then I "quickly" check email, texts, facebook, and suddenly am I sucked in to phoneworld (or the "Digital Now"). Occasionally I will turn off my email or hide my Facebook icon -- and when I can actually just leave the phone somewhere else, I find I can focus a bit better on the moment at hand.
Pet the Animals: This was a surprise to me. Sometimes I wake up with a bit of anxiety or worry about what the day or week will bring. Most mornings, my dog Finn and my cat Millie come and sit on the couch with me and want some attention. Petting them almost immediately lowers my anxieties and calms me. Also, because they can't talk, I imagine they are the most unconditional and supportive little beings. I am sure most of the time they are like "hey, when are you going to feed me?" but I have just decided that they are happy to see me and to help me out.
Jazz and the Dishes: Like the ever-present mountain of laundry, the cluttered kitchen and end of day mess is always there. After hearing a speaker talk about how Jazz is a great example of community, improvisation, and building on each others skills to create art, I have become interested in Jazz. So now, when it's time to put away dishes, clean up for the evening, etc. I put on the Jazz/Traffic station (88.5 FM in the Twin Cities). It changes up the feel of the time and makes it a bit more fun and a bit less of the drudge.
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