Wednesday, May 29, 2024
I used to be one of these people who dreaded a lot. I dreaded going to the store, getting into traffic, or starting a choral rehearsal only to discover people would be absent. I dreaded certain people, their fickle moods, and their problematic ways. I dreaded stepping on the scale. I dreaded looking into my bank account as it siphoned away – yikes! I dreaded early morning classes, having to get on an airplane, or doing my taxes. Often, I just dreaded waking up.
Most of our lives are dreadful. If you account for sleep, which is about 1/3 of your life, and other things like eating, grooming, and downtime, 2/3 of your life is spent doing dreadful, mundane things. There isn’t much time in our daily existence for “excitement.” Most of it is ho-hum.
But does it have to be? Do we have to drag ourselves to the grocery store or out of bed or to do something productive? Work can be enjoyable, but remember that everything takes effort, and there is something within us that would rather not do a thing. But being a lazy louse is just as dreadful. You can’t not play the game. One day, it will be over.
An average lifespan is 80 years. That’s 30,000 times to go to bed and wake up. Enjoy it. Enjoy the drive to the store. Enjoy the flight. Enjoy the sleep. Enjoy the periods of boredom. Enjoy other people. Simply put, enjoy yourself in all that you are. You wear many coats, and one day – gone.
Did you know there is joy in just being? Or do you dread that too? You can enjoy the indwelling spirit of you. You can enjoy moving around, being healthy, being alive, being able-bodied. There is so much to enjoy, but we’re often too busy dreading. How dreadful!