Everyday masterpiece...

There is a change, rather a shift. When it started, I savoured the feeling considering it to be an exception but I am happy that it has lasted the initial euphoria stage and now it seems to have settled for good. Well, predicting anything to last forever is pretty preposterous, yet, for me 'for good' has itself taken a new meaning, which is - as long as it (anything) happily stays with me.

I think I have spent the last couple of decades or so of my life trying to run a competition against time. I often derived an exceptional thrill in packing maximum in minimum so that every moment is used to the fullest. In fact I have tried to manage parallel processing on various fronts so that every moment becomes manifolds. In my mind, I have planned before leaving the bed - which sequence should I follow to gain the most. I do not have any regrets for having spent a good number of years doing so. But all of a sudden this changed one fine day.

Early in the morning while coming back from my usual yoga practice I heard my mind telling me, rather commanding me thus  - there is no hurry, there is no rush, do everything peacefully, sit comfortably to have breakfast, it is perfectly fine if the lunch gets ready by the lunch time only and not way in advance and it is permitted to do activities sequentially. I listened to my mind that day, I slowed down and I thoroughly enjoyed that pace. I could not help noticing a certain calmness engulfing me engaged in this manner. I enjoyed every single moment that day, although none was power packed. From that day on, I have been mindfully trying to work at the new pace. There is no tearing hurry to squeeze out time for some more of this or that - art work, reading, cooking, learning new things and many more. I realised, there is no competition that I have to take part in. I do not have to prove to anybody that I could read a certain number of books in a year, that I could cook five dishes in one hour, that I could make a piece of art worthy of appreciation. Even if I cook only one dish in a couple of hours - it is not less than any piece of art. It is for me, because it gives me immense satisfaction after having created it.

More than a year back, owing to some health issues I felt the need to hire a cook for the daily cooking. It continued for a year or so and I rationalised the new setup thinking that there is no charm or fun in cooking the same classic everyday dishes. I should rather devote my time and energy to adding newer things to my skill set in different fields. Incidentally, that feeling also changed with the altered pace. There may not be any glamour in cooking the same old dishes but then every mundane activity is an opportunity to perfect it even more while completely dedicating oneself in that time to that activity. There is nothing which cannot be turned into a masterpiece. Isn't it?