One of my thoughts I'm dwelling in right now is that Every day matters.
Or to expound on that: Every day matters, even if...
I'm not where I want to be in life right now.
Even if...
I'm tired and moody and stressed.
I am addicted to sugar, lagging in the exercise department, and my favorite jeans don't fit.
My house is a mess.
Blah, blah, blah. These lists of discontents, these lists of to-dos that I am so good at keeping. These obsessions with the future. They loom in front of me demanding my attention and distracting me from the elusive present.
But I've been thinking about how one-of-a-kind every day is and how my days slip through my fingers because I'm often so busy looking up at the horizon, wishing I was "there" already.
I've been crossing off the days on my calendar one by one to remind myself that every single day matters. Sometimes I ask myself, how can I make this day the best it can be.
And while I might sound like I've been inhaling the fumes of a pile of burning self-help VHS tapes from the 1990s, this is all really true.
p.s. The photo is one I took of a sculpture in LA at the La Brea Tar Pits by Donald Judd. It's striking because of it's stark simplicity - the way it shows the movement of light and shadow as the day passes like a sundial. Each square focuses your vision in on the center, looking through it is like looking through a window, passing through a portal and it reminds me of the passing of a day. One square follows after the other, like day follows day.
I just finished reading Everyday Sacred by Sue Bender. Her central story is that of the monk and his begging bowl. Every day the monk goes out into the world with his begging bowl and lives that day off of whatever kind passers-by place in it. It's a great way to think about making the most of the day - a bowl waiting to be filled by whatever stories, words, deeds we receive from others during a day.
ReplyDeleteI have NEVER had motivational sayings posted on my mirror, but just two days ago, I found a postcard with a "Dish of Fruit" painted on it and jotted in the margin, "What will be placed in your bowl today?" as a way of keeping my heart open to the possibilities, even as I'm groggily bemoaning the fact that my son is up at 6:15 - again.
I love your post and your attitude... I just discovered your Blog and now I shall begin to read thru all the previous posts! Always a Joy to connect to another Bohemian Spirit!
ReplyDeleteDawn... The Bohemian
@ Amy B... Have I told you I read Plain and Simple by Sue Bender many years ago and really enjoyed it? Sounds like I need to check out Everyday Sacred.
ReplyDelete