I'm generally not a shower-thinker, which maybe explains why people seem to REALLY social distance from me. Jokes aside, I prefer to get in and out as quick as possible, since in my mind our days can be spent doing far better things than standing under a stream of water for extended periods of time. But last week, that all changed.
During our state's peak quarantine period in the spring, the shower was a place where I was forced to become as mindful as possible (which I posted about a while back) just to break up the mental monotony of the daily repetition of life. Using different hands than normal, facing different directions, cleaning in a different order, there were a number or different tactics that I still implement today to try and bring a little awareness into my everyday life. But last week when I got in the shower, another idea came to mind. I had no reason to hurry, which made me realize, why not do every single action with as much attention as possible? Why not do it like I love myself?
So I did. And it was honestly probably the best shower I've ever taken. I cleaned in places I didn't even know I had. Every inch of my body got attention that it had never received before. And it felt SO good. Not just clean-wise, I wasn't that dirty. But more on an emotional level. I showed myself love like I hadn't ever in the past. It got me thinking, why not do more things this way? We can't do everything with that much care, otherwise we'd never make it out of the house, but there are so many little things on a daily basis that we rush through, unaware of what we're missing out on. Eating. Smelling. Hearing. Cleaning your armpits. So much! The potential is almost endless.
With the weekend coming up, I have one challenge for you. Do something like you love yourself. Just one thing. See how it feels. My guess is that you won't wanna stop at one either.
"A Single Seed" is my attempt to get out one idea every post that I've learned or accumulated over the years, with the hope that it may stick in someone else's memory bank as well. The idea may be related to fitness, business, life, or philosophy, but I think you'll find that many can change domains if you wish them to. With each seed planted, a new life awaits.
