Satisfaction in Performing a Simple Task

There is real satisfaction in doing a simple task tastefully – David K Reynolds

For my morning reading I came across one of David K Reynolds books ‘Pools of Lodging for the Moon” and thought this observation from his book could benefit many people who set the aim to live a more consciously aware life.

Pacing Ourselves – Sometimes I find myself hurriedly moving from one task to another, operating at a pace faster than is required by reality. In this world of dizzy activity it is easy to be seduced into habits of rushing about. When I notice the beginning of such tendency I shift my effort to doing the same task with grace and aesthetic emphasis. It isn’t sufficient to tell myself, “Slow down!” My mind is still moving along at a fast clip; my body tries to catch up. So I put that accelerating mind to work finding the most beautiful way to get dressed, to water plants, to dust, to move the furniture, to change the spark plugs in the car. Over the years, our minds learn to do many projects relatively automatically, so the free mental energy becomes nervous energy devoted to speed. The relatively unfamiliar task of finding beauty in an everyday task absorbs the excess energy and results in a natural slowing of our pace of life. And there is real satisfaction in doing a simple task tastefully. – David K Reynolds

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