I came across this quote this morning:
This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.
—Alan Watts
I agree with that. It reminds me of
The secret of happiness is to ask yourself every day:
(1) What’s good about my life?
(2) What needs to be done?
(3) How can I get this done and enjoy the process?
It’s a skill that needs to be learned, and we won’t always do it perfectly. But it’s well worth working on, and life continually gives us the chance to practice.
February 22, 2020
I so agree with this…when I worked at the orchard, we also were in business with someone else and had strawberries. There were 50 rows in one spot…400 ft. long each. Plus I forget how many that were 800 ft. long. We used drip tube to carry the water, and every spring, part of my job was to get it all going…making sure water was reaching the far end. Keep in mind that we used the black plastic to plant through and the drip tube was laid under it at the same time. So it was not always apparent where the hose was chewed up. The only way I managed to do that is just pretending it was a giant puzzle and my job was to find the parts to get it together.
Yes! That’s what I do too when faced with income tax, technical problems, anything that I don’t understand. It’s a big puzzle and I get curious and play with it. That approach frees our minds for creative problem solving.
Love that Alan Watts quote.
I do too. 🙂
I haven’t worked for decades…and now when I could work, I always seem to be playing.
Today, I’m using a product in my artwork, that I don’t actually like, I hate the feel when it dry, even though it should make things easier in the long run…and I just looked at it, it will need some more coats, bugger.
So I think what I need to do is think “only that the finished outcome, will make it alright…cause it it will be beneath the finish”
I would call creating your art “work” in Watt’s sense. Work doesn’t have to be paid to be valuable.
I remember The Wisdom of Insecurity from my younger days. Being engaged with what you’re doing in the here and now is (as I understand it) the purpose of mindfulness. I’m fairly good at being in the here and now. I don’t look back at the past very much, though I do worry about the future and what it might hold.
I worried about the future years ago, then I decided the best preparation was to continue learning and developing my skills in the present. It’s a lot more fun and effective.
I do this sometimes and need to do it more. one thing I do not like to do is clean our glass doors, glass top kitchen table, mirrors etc… now it is better because I have told myself it is exercise. I do wide sweeping motions and do it quickly and it is more fun. still can make dusting fun.
Yes, I’m with you on that. 🙂
My Dave had a job like that. He worked long hours. When I asked him what he does for fun he said, “I have fun every day.”
I was a bookkeeper. When the accountant’s assistant asked me to find a document I said, “Ooo, a treasure hunt!”
Any job can be fun with the right attitude.
Good for both of you!
Interesting food for thought. Now I just need to figure out how to get myself to work this into my daily routine.
Baby steps are the fastest way. Every little bit helps, and once we can feel the difference it makes we will naturally want to do it more.