Miracles of mindfulness, or multitasking?
Multitasking is a highly valued skill in American culture, especially in business, nonprofit management, etc. It has even become an ideal in the home — moms who do everything to keep our little beings full of delight and activity.
I have become a successfully efficient but thorough multitasker. From an economic perspective, and from a household standpoint, this is tremendously useful. But from a me-standpoint, it is hard to ignore the multi-tasks that await; as if in learning to think in five streams at once, it is hard to silence myself to only one creek.
At the ocean, I can think properly, undivided. But it is tremendously hard in my home, with the nagging claims of everything that needs to be done. As someone who works from home, writes from home, teaches my children at home, and tries to be home at home, I am challenged out of mindfulness.
My friend, Mike McLaren, gave me Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Miracle of Mindfulness last week. How shall I wash the dishes to wash the dishes? Can I give myself that permission? These days, I feel like the only down time I can take is scheduled restraint from the world, e.g. yoga class. Can I afford to lose four or five rivers at any given moment?
Am I willing?