Pause Button for Life

This is a re-post...

There have been days when I worried a lot about the "could have been's". I could have said this, done that, gone there.. etc. Or for that matter, the shouldn't have done that, gone there or said that's. Too much stuff was occupying space in my mind/heart or wherever it was... may be you can relate to that...

I would think if the house is all clean then I could rest. I'll be about to wrap up when the room just cleaned will be already messy and I will rush to straighten that... when I am done with folding loads of clothes, the new set will be out of the dryer and I start over again from square one... by the time that is done it will be a whole new day and loads of more clothes to be washed, dried and folded... when I think I am done with my hello rounds to friends and family, it will be already time for the second round of calling... one meal would be just over and already I will be worrying about the next dish to prepare, a weekend is just gone by and I'm already planning for the next one, same way for next Christmas, next summer... you get the point...

Rushing to the next chore, racing to beat the traffic lights, driving to the next gas station just because it is a few pennies less, rushing to the stores to avail a coupon before it's expiry date, hurrying things up, moving too fast, working too hard, never saying "no",  trying to please everyone, accomodating every need, demanding a spot-less home at my own expense, the list is endless...

Suddenly it dawned on me that I couldn't go on like this forever. It was time to de-clutter my mind and introduce a "Pause" button for life.

Just like how I often declutter the closets, the drawers, the refridgerator, the garage etc, I decided to declutter my mind of all the unneccessary information, thoughts, worries, the "could have been's" along with the "shouldn't have been's" It didn't come easily but for the next few weeks and months I had to retrain my schedule differently...

I would skip the kitchen sink for a night, for a week I would miss a toilet cleaning, or even let go the un-ending loads of clothes folding or just fold half the pile at a time... I decided to buy local even if it means paying few extra cents or dollars... switched to calling friends only at leisure not feeling the compulsion to stay in touch on a weekly basis, would sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee amidst my cleaning spree, decided to forget some numbers and specific details such as how much something cost or where we bought it or all related unneccessary details such as what we paid for moving, which company we used... etc.

Even at times I will refuse to do a calculation in my mind if I know the other person is doing it - for example if my husband is trying to calculate the room dimensions in his mind to see if a furniture will fit in, I will keep my mind free rather than doing the exact same multiplications or divisions in my mind and coming up with a wrong answer... (no pun intended!)... It is not worth two brains at it anyway...

Believe it or not in just a few weeks I started feeling much relaxed, I could take the time now to breath deeply, enjoy the morning breeze, smell the garden flowers, kiss my babies more, finally there was time to include my hobbies into my schedule... I could grab a book to read, make new friends, start blogging... & I'm loving it!

These days I don't stress much about anything. I am at peace with almost everything. That doesn't mean things don't go wrong, but when it does I don't panic much. I realize God is in control and when He fights my battles, I just need to "Be Still"

Thoreau quoted "What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us." which makes me rethink my priorities. That lies behind me - childhood, education / exams, yesterdays... That lies ahead of me - chores, more chores, aging, tomorrows... That lives within me -  memories, gratitude, family, friends, career, hobbies, now & today!

All set to make the most of today - with an uncluttered mind and a "pause button" at hand...

There it goes... Click! 

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