Keeping the Pet Hair Down

Keeping the Pet Hair Down

I drew the “Why is it so easy?” card this morning. Oh, I love that question. Easy is so easy. And so much of life being easy is about how we look at it.

When I come at my day feeling heavy, and see my activities looming before me as obligations, my day is hard, and endless. I get to the end of it feeling exhausted, and kind of sad.

I find that it often happens when I don’t take care of myself; under sleeping, skipping meals, running running running with no break. Frankly, that’s just being irresponsible.

I see that surprises some of you. How can being so super busy be irresponsible? It boils down to how we manage our resources.

You can’t drive a car without fuel in it. You can push it, or pull it, but you can’t drive it.

You can’t pour a delicious, refreshing beverage from an empty pitcher.

You can’t pick a sweet, juicy plum from a barren plum tree.

A dear friend taught me a precious lesson on this topic. She was a stay-at-home-mom. We were working on a project together, and I got to spend a lot of time in her lovely, cozy home. She vacuumed every day. She said that she had to in order to keep the pet hair down.

She got a job. She stopped vacuuming every day. Now she vacuums once a week or so.  She has to, to keep the pet hair down. (Changing her vacuuming habit gained her a couple hours each week.)

One way I live easy is I check in on my priorities. Only one thing can be top priority. It should be managing my internal resources. If I have no juice, I can’t share it with you. I mean, d’uh. The rest of my priorities need regular check-ins. Often something that I’m doing from habit can be eliminated. That can free up a lot of easy. And still keep the pet hair down.

One way I live easy is I manage my external resources. I make sure the car is taken care of so I can do stuff in it. I make sure I have the things that make me feel settled. For me, it’s toilet paper, kitty litter and cat food, and fruit.

One way I live easy is I manage my internal resources. I experience my emotions. I use Creative Questions. I have meditative and contemplative practices. I have friends whom I can tell anything, and do.

One way I live easy is my attitude. How do I feel when I live easy? When I am living easy, I feel relaxed, I feel happy, I feel productive. I want to do what I can to help you. I sleep deeply and peacefully. Easy is nice.

I have to give up some stuff to live easy. I have to give up worry. I have to give up guilt. I have to give up being a victim or a martyr. I have to give up stressing out about stuff. I have to give up beating myself up over stuff. A lot of sacrifices. But it’s worth it.

How have I changed from living hard to living easy?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2013 all rights reserved 05102013