20-Something Me's Morning Start
- get up
- toilet
- jump in the shower
- get dressed
- eat breakfast
- make lunch
- brush teeth
- pack bag
- head out the door
30 minutes. What the heck?? How is that even possible???
50-Something Me's Morning Start
- get up
- toilet and check phone for news
- brush teeth and wet down hair (no shower to speed things up)
- get dressed
- give cat her treats (a ritual)
- feed cat her dry and wet food
- do some stretches and meditation
- cuddle cat in the chair for a few minutes & scroll through phone
- pack office bag
- head out the door
That's a good 30 minutes AND there's no shower or breakfast in there. Nor a packed lunch.
Yes, there is a cat in there... but I think the bigger thing is the phone. When you don't have a phone... it's easier to focus and stay on task. The stretches and meditation also weren't there in my 20s
If I were to add in breakfast... a bowl of oatmeal with berries and nuts, that would add at least another 30 minutes to the whole thing. Ya gotta love PB&J sandwiches for their speed... both in making them and eating them.
Sometimes I think... "I should be able to get this done faster!" But maybe faster isn't better. Maybe it's good for me to have a slower start to the day... and take some time to interact with the cat... do some stretches... ease into the day with some meditation. It's not all about speed, is it?
Savouring vs Speeding
Perhaps... just perhaps... rather than trying to cram as much stuff as I can into a day... I could consider that it's about savouring the moments that are there. Less is More?
Take the little cat for example. We won't always have this little cat and she is a precious little being. I've had several cats and none have been as interactive as her. She loves to chase the treats that we throw for her. She loves to find them hidden in the same spots every morning. She coos and chirps and runs around the house with an excited curly tail. She wants... nay... needs... her morning cuddle time in the chair. But me? That chair cuddle time has become a rare thing. I'm too much in a rush to get out the door before 5:30 am so I can hit Starbucks just as they open and sit down and journal and blog and get some work done. Would it be so horrible if I took 10 minutes to just sit with the little cat and... not scroll the phone... but cuddle her with consciousness and intention? Might be a good thing for me. Because in a few years... the little cat will be gone. I could actually take the time now to savour those moments.
There's a word in German... Genießen (or Geniessen). It translates to enjoy, savour, relish. I experience that word as a slow word. To sit in the chair and soak up the experience of a cat cuddle. To savour it, enjoy it, embed myself in it. Without the constant natter in my head that says "gotta get moving... gotta get moving"...
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| In German - Das Leben lebt von liebenswürdigen Kleinigkeiten, die unserem Herzen Freude bereiten und unsere Augen staunen lassen. In English - Life is made up of lovely small things that bring joy to our hearts and amazement to our eyes. |
And it's true... there are so many small things in life that bring joy to our hearts - a bumble bee in a flower, a dandelion pushing through the pavement, a sunrise, a cat cooing. And it is good to stop, pause and savour those small moments. But first we need to be aware of them. We need to actually see them.
When I'm moving fast... so many of these small things pass by and I barely acknowledge them. And savouring the moment doesn't mean I have to stand there and commune with a butterfly for 10 minutes. But I can see it, recognize it, and savour the moment before moving on.
Although... it is good to sit and savour as well. Something I could definitely practice more!
Sooo... back to my morning routine... maybe it's not about aging and moving slower. Maybe it's about wisdom and moving slower in order to savour those small moments?
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