Joy In The Mundane

I have always been awed by people who joyfully perform some of the most routine tasks. There is a checkout clerk at a grocery store I frequent and his easy, carefree smile always warms my heart. His engaging behavior and thoughtful questions leave me in a better place each time I am in his presence. If you ask him, he will tell you his mission is to make the most out of each moment and to find joy in the mundane. I find this inspiring. It takes keen observation and a discerning eye to discover something exceptional in that which is ordinary.

It is easy to find joy when we get that promotion we’ve long awaited or when our child achieves honor roll status at school or, the obvious, while we are on vacation. Genuine self mastery occurs when we quiet the disagreeable voices in our heads; the voices that convince us we are more valuable we are than the small task we are engaged in. How about the voices that tell us there’s so much more to life? Or my personal favorite, the voices that nag at us about all the other things we could be getting done.

Is this mental chatter useful? What if the moment you engaged in disagreeable thoughts, you could recognize it and shift to something more productive? Isn’t the mental chatter the result of one, limited point of view? Therefore it stands to reason there are other perspectives available to draw upon.

If you feel yourself struggling to find joy in the mundane, I encourage you to look beyond the obvious. See beyond the immediate to that which lies deeper. Perhaps each small task contributes to a larger purpose. There is likely a connection to a key life intention. I know I am able to carry out even the most basic of activities with sincerity because there is an underlying principle beyond each action that moves me closer to a key purpose in my life.