I enjoy reading Leo Babauta’s blog, particularly when it’s been a long week and I’m feeling a bit scattered.
Leo writes about cultivating simplicity in your life.
This morning a passage appearing in Leo’s latest post caused me to stop and think how physically and emotionally draining daily routines can be. Sometimes we forget to slow down and fully experience a moment:
7. Treat an activity like a sacred ritual. This is the part I forget the most, but I’ve been getting better at remembering. Here’s the idea: every single thing we do can be done as an afterthought, like something you’re just getting through to get to something more important … or it can be elevated to something sacred, like performing sacred rites. Washing your hands? Take a moment to realize how much of a miracle this act is (many people don’t have water for basic hygiene), take a breath, and truly pay attention as you go through this sacred hand-washing ritual. Do your dishes the same way: every dish a miracle, every sensation elevated to a new importance, every drop of water a gem worth paying attention to. This applies to every activity: writing, responding to an email, listening to a friend, playing with your child, taking a shower, going for a walk, paying bills. Worthy of your full attention, worthy of joy and appreciation.
Earlier in Leo’s post he suggests eating and wearing the exact same thing every day (rule #2 of his 7 rules for simplicity), but I don’t know if I could follow such a strict regime. For instance, my usual breakfast lately has been egg whites and steel cut oats with berries. I love eggs n’ oatmeal, but I don’t think I could eat that every day for 6 months straight. Once in a while it’s nice to have a few buttery French crepes drizzled with maple syrup, or a Montreal style bagel slathered in cream cheese with some bacon on the side.
I won’t get all preachy, but will just say these sorts of lifestyle prescriptions are best taken with a grain of salt —a rather huge chunk of salt. What works for someone else… well, you know.
I’d like to consider for a moment the contrasting perspective in Laird Hamilton’s words of wisdom, for instance point #10:
10. I have friends who eat healthier than anybody, but it takes them all day. And if they don’t have their sprouted bread, they go into a seizure. I can eat a Big Mac. I’m not going to love it, but it won’t put me into toxic shock. It’s like if a car is too high-performance, then it’s sensitive to any kind of fuel. I like being more like a truck. If a little diesel gets in there, maybe a little water, it’ll cough and burp a bit, but it’s gonna get through it and keep running.