FINDING THE CREATIVITY IN HOUSE CLEANING

House cleaning….why is it so hard to start? Mainly I object to the fact that in a week or so it all has to be redone. I wouldn’t mind it at all if I could do it once perfectly and it would stay that way. It might even make me feel accomplished. But then life is full of repetitions.

We get up then after 12 hours go to sleep. We brush our teeth then do it again the next day twice. Buddhists say that the practice of Buddhism is nothing but repetition but with a dose of vision and inspiration.

Maybe that is what i am lacking, vision and inspiration in my cleaning process. When visiting my grand daughter (9yrs) I asked if she would like to help wash the dishes after dinner and her prompt response was …NO WAY.
Already at that age she knows washing dishes is not an entertaining activity so does not want any part of it. Repetition is okay if it is a video game of her choice because she can lose herself in the process. When washing dishes you need to be with yourself and your own thoughts, mindful and aware.

I get up three mornings in a row and ask myself do I paint today or clean my place. Painting wins out every time, hands down, even if I am not particularly inspired and know that a nagging doubt will follow me for the rest of the evening, not to mention several rather large dust bunnies.

I prefer painting to house cleaning for the same reason my grand-daughter prefers video games, I can lose myself in the painting process and do not need to observe my thoughts or be aware of myself and my surroundings.
Why are we so quick to want to get out of our heads and bodies?

People find meditation boring because it is so repetitive and you are forced to sit still and focus on yourself and be aware of every minute...

But it is precisely that repetition of sitting and focussing (often on your breath) that brings rewards. Your mind has a vacation and your body thanks you for the attention later on, all the while you were gritting your teeth and wishing to be else where. You have accessed another part of the brain, not the left side that needs constant feeding/entertainment. The slow side that if you could connect with, the way Zen masters do when cleaning, would transport you to nirvana.

It would be nice if you could sit down once and meditate for half an hour and be enlightened but life doesn't work that way.

So tomorrow (ha) I will clean mindfully, fully present in mind and body like the Zen masters...at least try...it will be another exercise of meditation.