So many people glorify and romanticize ‘busy’.
I do not. I value purpose. I believe in resting in reason and moving in passion. If you’re always busy, you will miss important details. I like the mountain. Still, but when it moves, lands shift and earth quakes.
Joseph Cook
In a world where everyone seems to be so completely focused on staying busy, hustling, and making power moves that ultimately lead to financial wealth, I have found that doing quite the opposite is one of the most grounding experiences.
Recently, I have taken to romanticizing my own little life. Taking joy in the mundane, like household chores or preparing meals. Enjoying each cup of tea with passion and vigor, as though each cup were the best cup of tea that I have ever had. Sitting on the back porch, listening to the pitter-patter of rain on the leaves of the vines that ensconce that porch, the chirping of the happy birds in nearby trees, the melodic singing of the crickets that hide in the flower garden..
The primary reasoning for this is learning to slow down, to be still and just appreciate moments as they come. They are fleeting enough as is and, if you don’t slow down, you are going to miss them. Time is a precious resource that will never be on your side, so why waste it?
When I wake, I am in no rush to turn on any of the myriad devices in my home. Instead, I take my time preparing for the day ahead. This is a relatively new practice but a vital one all the same. We, as a society, spend so much of our time connected to the world around us. Turn on a bit of quiet music instead. Sit for a cup of coffee or tea and conversate with your loved ones over breakfast. Read something. Just be present.
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
The entire idea is celebrating each and every single moment; celebrating your own life. There’s a quote somewhere about being the main character in your story and it is one of my favorites. For so long, I put myself on the back burner and let so many others take center stage in my own life. The spotlight was on them and I was hiding in the shadows, somewhere just beyond the curtains. At some point, I realized that it was a practice that I could no longer participate in. I couldn’t continue putting all of my energy into everyone else and resigning myself to just existing.
It was absolutely no way to live. When I learned to view myself as the main character, I found true joy in my own life. I stopped wishing to be someone else, assuming that those people always had a better life than me. I found beauty in my own reflection without first covering myself in makeup. I stopped focusing on being thinner and found enjoyment in the foods that I eat.
Romanticize your own life. Notice the magic in every sunrise, the peaceful glow of the moon, the lullabies of nature, the beauty in yourself. Be the main character in your story. And learn to just be still from time to time, learn to slow down and appreciate every moment in life and the lessons that come along the way. This existence will never be perfect, but it will always be worth it.
With hope that your day is as enchanting as the mountains on a misty, quiet morning..
Quinn
Not A Mombie 