Chop Wood, Carry Water.

Meditation, prayer, quite time; call it whatever you want to. We all need time to focus. A friend recently reminded me of the zen proverb "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." Basically how do we find the peace and beauty in the rituals and routines of our daily lives? Chop wood. Carry water.

For me, it is a 3 to 4 mile walk pretty much every morning. Rain? Snow? Wind? Cold? No problem. The views of the Boulder Flatirons help (as does the 20oz cup of coffee) but the practice of being outside for 45 minutes a day just enjoying and appreciating the beauty of the day was a practice I started before we moved to Boulder - and believe me, there aren't any Flatirons in Wadena, MN. Chop Wood. Carry Water.

The reminder of the proverb is more special, more poignant for me, because my mentor, the late Bill Sauer, used the same proberb fairly often. I had allowed myself to forget the proverb, if not the practice. We need to learn how to find peace in our day. The stresses of our daily lives in the early 21st century invade everything. Traffic, stock market, kids, parents, jobs, neighbors - you name it, it just keeps piling on. Take the time to appreciate the peace and beauty in your every day experiences. De-compress, if just for 3 minutes at a time. Chop Wood. Carry Water.