Week 3: How I Applied Relief Society to Laundry

This is a photo of my planner from last week.  Notice how everything is written down and almost everything is crossed off.  Readings for the week?  Check.  Plan and present a spiritual thought? Check.  Apologize to a friend?  Check.  Sara open her mission call?  Check.  Sister sleepover?  Check.  Party with old friends? Check.  Spiritual progression?  Check.  Friend bonding?  Done.  Important family milestones?  Been there. Done that.

Are you seeing the problem?

Granted, this is a planner.  I'm supposed to plan things here.  It aids my already burdened memory and helps me schedule and keep track of school and work.  But I've been noticing this get-through-it-so-I-can-be-done mindset creeping into my mental default settings.

Somewhere in the midst of life, I'm forgetting to live.

We studied this timely message yesterday, and I seriously wanted to memorize the whole thing in attempts to internalize it.  Here are a few of the most poignant parts: 

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"Doesn't it seem foolish to spoil sweet and joyful experiences because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end?

"Do we listen to beautiful music waiting for the final note to fade before we allow ourselves to truly enjoy it? No.  We listen and connect to the variations of melody, rhythm, and harmony throughout the composition.

"Do we say our prayers with only the 'amen' or the end in mind? Of course not.  We pray to be close to our Heavenly Father, to receive His Spirit and feel His love.


"We shouldn't wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available-- all the time.  Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. 'This is the day which the Lord hath made...,' the Psalmist wrote.  'Rejoice and be glad in it.'

"...No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish.  There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it...

"...With the bountiful blessings of our Heavenly Father, His generous plan of salvation, the supernal truths of the restored gospel, and the many beauties of this mortal journey, 'have we not reason to rejoice?'...

"We cannot take for granted one single day.

"I pray that we will not wait until we are ready to die before we truly learn to live."

Beautiful.  I wonder how much more meaningful my life would be if I lived by these principles.  Especially in my health and fitness goals, the temptation to wait to enjoy life is daunting.  I'll admit that I've thought this before: "I won't be truly happy with life until I've lost the weight."  Not true, self! Not true!  I can be happy now.  To paraphrase President Uchtdorf's words, "[I] do matter. [I] determine [my] happiness.  [I am] ultimately in charge of [my] own happiness."


I tried this out today on something routine that I was planning to merely get done and check off my list: laundry.  That's always on our lists, right?  So I'm gonna love it.  During the trek down to the laundromat, I loved the smell of Tide.  On the walk to switch my clothes to the dryer, I loved the sunlight (yay, sunlight!) reflecting on the snow outside.  I loved hugging the dyer-warm clothes like a kid. I loved the satisfaction of a neat fold.  And I loved the Tinkerbell movie while I folded. :)  Yes, the Tinkerbell movie brings me joy.  Don't judge.  Childish? Maybe.  But I got the same task done with much more joy that usual and hardly any more effort.  And don't you love the way children live life anyway?  With laughter and wonder and curiosity and love?  They don't wait to be happy.  And neither will I.  

Thanks to my Bishop for inspiring the study of that talk, and Serena and Emilee for teaching it so thoughtfully. :)




P.S. I'm on my way to establishing my veggie-with-dinner habit!