My attempt to create a mindful environment in my work space.
Our choice of work is very important
Gautama Buddha called it the ‘right’ livelihood.
If we are happy with our work it flows
like a river on a beautiful day.
It makes us feel mindful, calm and contented.
We don’t need to spend years to learn to be mindful.
If we are aware of our breathing, we are mindful,
we have to keep this awareness continually.
Doing work and tackling problems mindfully
reduces our stress level. The only stress then is healthy tiredness.
We don’t even need to be in control when we make the work tasks flow.
The control is replaced with feelings of joy,
that of completing tasks with best intentions.
Recently I saw two examples of mindful work practice:
First, a plumber identified a problem in our house in a few minutes and solved
it with a new part.
I told him that he was like a magician. He moved his body mindfully.
The best part of his work was cleaning up the bathroom with a smile reflecting satisfaction.
Second, a painter and decorator, who I know well, told me that his body directed his fingers in a certain direction. This helped him to learn a new and easier technique of paining skirting boards.
This shows that mindfulness and the flow of work, through our body go together.
When we are mindful, our work is an extension of ourselves.
Our creativity is at a high level. Work then becomes effortless.
Eventually, everything we do is in line with our purpose.
Then what we do emerges from our state of being, not stressful goals.
(c) Harish Davda 2023
