Image credit: The Minds Journal
So boring! So monotonous!!!
- What if it’s “sacred monotony”? 🤔
In a previous post,
I said that rather than lamenting on what could be felt as doing a meaningless task (e.g. a work “process” step),
connecting it to a higher purpose reframes our feeling to that of gratitude.
Do we feel that day in, day out
we are in a “same old same old” routine and monotony?
What if we treat the monotony as “sacred monotony”?
Sacred monotony becomes skillful monotony and fulfilling monotony,
like in the above example of “meaningless task”
when we can:
✔️ check it against a higher purpose.
If not the highest purpose each time,
then the cascaded lower sub-purpose(s).
Sacred monotony is when we enter any task
with intention (a.k.a. niat, niyyah, nawaitu),
versus mindless, automatic drifting.
Archers, violinists or other achievers
who repeat and practise hours on end
for months or years on end
do not complain of boring routine!
We perform religious rituals with sacred monotony
(except if we approach them in automatic mode).
Try this:
- remembrance of deep intention, and
- mindfulness (being fully present every moment in every task) for all daily activities,
be they for religious rituals or mundane work and life routines.
An alternative is: escape from boredom
through falling for distractions,
bingeing on entertainment,
and other heedless forms,
but beware - where are we really heading to?
Have a blessed Friday,
have a good weekend,
(even with monotony)!