We live in a busy world, always doing something, never knowing how or when to stop. I fell this way often while cleaning our house. You know that domestic work that goes on and on. One day, a memory of my past came to mind. As kids, our mom had a Saturday task list for us to clean the house. She would say, "You can't go out to play until you help clean." We would scurry around, hurrying to finish our responsibilities and be released from our assignments.
Recently, I was making my Saturday Clean Day list and realized it never ends unless you stop. One thing leads to another. I felt like one of those robot floor cleaners that almost ran over me at a QuickTrip the other day. I ran inside to pay for my gas, and as I turned around to leave, one of those scary things stopped at my feet just in time. The recording said, “Thank you for stopping so I can clean.” I thought, 'What a busy world it is, cleaning itself and will never stop.'
Back to my thought, the antidote to this madness, my topic question, "Have You Tried this? It was my original thought on how to stop this crazy life of always having to do something, a race to the end with no end in sight.
One day, someone told me about an exercise that helps you live a more engaged life. Your life is so valuable, the trap of busyness can rob you of time that passes so fast you don't know it's happening.
This exercise requires no time or money; it simply involves using your five senses. Here is a list of the 5. Confession: I used Google, and it says, Humans have five basic senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. These senses help us perceive and interact with the world around us.
So, I took that advice, and it surprised me. I took a break and sat on the porch in my swing, facing the mountains. I tried practicing the 5 Senses and was surprised how it helped: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch. Here is my discovery.
HEARING, I heard:
- The hum of the ceiling fan
- Cars on the road.
- Our chime, which we purchased in Maine, is ringing
- A mourning dove's soft coo
- Motorbike on a Saturday ride.
- The sound of silence
SEEING:
- The clouds’ white puffs
- The wind is blowing the leaves on the sycamore trees. Old folklore says that if you see their white underside, rain is coming.
- Sun reflecting on a spider web
- A wasp was flying around trying to find a place to land.
FEELING:
- The 95-degree heat in the air is not bad with a breeze.
TOUCH: Felt the breeze on my skin, cooling the heat.
TASTE:
- In my swing, enjoying the taste of vanilla ice cream as I take a break!
SMELL
- The fragrance of the petunias in a hanging basket swaying in the breeze, annual flowers of this summer.
Observation: I felt relaxed and focused. I struggled with using this skill, as I'm not used to sitting and doing nothing. Just confessing this makes me feel uncomfortable. I should know it is helpful, but I thought I needed to be inside completing my list. What an eye-opener about the truth of being too busy. I discovered a weakness I must address by spending more time with myself and by stopping.
