Mix and Stir

Life isn't one thing after another. It's one thing interwoven with another.

This morning, I did an interval workout at home. The woman on the DVD was instructing me to do 60 seconds of this exercise, 20 seconds of rest, 60 seconds of that exercise, 20 seconds of rest.

Only I had hard-boiled eggs that needed preparing so I could enjoy one when I was done. So the workout was more along the lines of, 60 seconds of this exercise, 20 seconds of turning on the water to boil, 60 seconds of that exercise, 20 seconds of adding eggs to the water, ....

This, then that, then mix it all together.

After all of this, I did my walk. I discovered that a neighbor a few streets over had an unfortunate night last night: After a short burst of thunderstorms, one of their trees had fallen onto their house. Crews were already there cleaning it up.

I'm sure that our neighbors were dealing with clean up in between working, mopping up rain and making phone calls to insurance while trying to accomplish what was originally planned for this day.

This, then that, then mix it all together.

We plan in sequence and think in similar sequence: First I make this much money, then I do that. First I get this degree, then I do that. First I lose this much weight, then I do that. We are often surprised or disturbed when things "get in the way".

What if, instead, you focused on the mixing? Honor that it's all one big interwoven experience of living, and plan to stir.

Be less frustrated by the things that seem to be out of place, and enjoy engaging with things as they arise.