Work/Life Balance: Making Every Day Sacred
So many of us rush blindly through our days, fall into bed
exhausted, and wake up the next morning to do it all over again.
For many of us, our lives are composed of millions of
meaningless moments, all strung together - perhaps with a
sprinkling of sacred moments mixed in. I'm sure you can think of
a few sacred moments in your own life. Maybe your marriage, the
birth of your child(ren), or perhaps a heartfelt moment of
connection with a good friend. These are the moments when we are
consumed with joy and awe. At these moments, we are fully
present in the moment. We aren't worrying about tomorrow, or
trying to rush through the experience to get to the next. We are
in the now, and the now is amazing.
However, why do we wait for major events to honor these sacred
moments? Why can't every day be sacred? Every moment? Each
moment is sacred - if we decide to make it that way. I stated
above that our lives are filled with meaningless moments, but
those moments are meaningless only because we don't honor them.
We are hurrying along, focused on other things, not stopping to
notice them at all. They come and go without so much as an
acknowledgement from us.
Honoring the sacred means simply choosing to make each moment
count. It is a tiny shift in perception that assigns meaning and
importance to each moment. It means stopping to notice the
beauty and love around us, and within us. It means being fully
present in each moment, because only the present moment truly
exists. So many of us worry about the future, hold regrets about
the past, and completely ignore the present. When we give the
now our full attention, even mundane tasks can take on an aura
of holiness. Then our lives become millions of meaningful
moments. Nothing has changed except our perception, but it makes
all the difference.
So how do we change our perception to one of sacredness? What
does it mean to stay in the present moment? Let's use an
example: washing dishes. When most of us wash dishes, we hurry
through it, often thinking about the million other things we
need to get done that day (or the next day). Our minds are
scattered all over the place, focusing on everything but what we
are doing. Who can blame us? Washing dishes is not the most
exciting experience. However, if we choose to make it a sacred
experience, we will want to focus on it. We want to take our
time and really pay attention to how the water feels on our
hands, how the soap cleanses away the grease and grime, and the
sense of satisfaction we get as each dish moves from the dirty
pile to the strainer, now clean and shiny.
Maybe that still doesn't sound very thrilling. Let's look at
what else is happening. As we give our full attention to washing
the dishes, we are not only "doing," we are BEING. Ah, that is
the key. It doesn't matter what we're doing or not doing in each
moment of our lives, it matters only that we become aware of our
own state of Being. In those moments, we are fully alive and
conscious. We are connected to everything, and we are One with
everything. We ARE.
Have you ever heard the term, "walking meditation?" This can be
great practice to help you honor the sacred in your own life.
Many of us walk for health or recreation, but we can also walk
for spiritual awareness. A walking meditation is a slow, focused
walk where you give your full attention to each step you take,
the feel of your muscles working, your breathing, and even your
surroundings. Especially if you walk someplace in nature, a
place with lots of trees and wildlife. The trick is to not let
your mind wander, but stay focused on the now. It can take
practice, but once you accomplish it, your life will never be
the same.
Imagine living a full, meaningful life. Imagine miracles
happening all around you. Imagine being filled with awe and
gratitude each day, and laying down to sleep each night feeling
peaceful and relaxed. You can. If you choose it.