Posts by Pat:
Aarrgg…those fitted sheets!
There it was again, sitting on the bottom of the laundry basket because I leave it for last every time. I know it should not be such a big deal, but…
The thing’s got no real corners, nothing sharp and neat like a flat sheet. Everything else in the laundry basket has a process-the blouses, socks, towels.
But NOT the fitted sheet. No matter how hard I try to fold it nicely, it looks like I’ve rolled it into a ball. (And flannel fitted sheets are even worse!)
Are my excuses like yours?
- It’s too hard
- I can’t do it good enough
- it’s not really necessary
Of course this isn’t really about fitted sheets, yet it’s got EVERYTHING to do with fitted sheets. I use this metaphor because it’s something I dread. I do my best to fold them, all the while knowing it won’t come out perfect. But I try anyway.
Because… 
It’s time for me to fold some sheets.
There’s a Buddhist saying that goes something like: If you’re going to sweep, sweep.
This simple phrase is about doing your best at everything you do. You put your attention to the task at hand, being mindful. For when you persevere through tasks that you must do anyway, it brings a larger appreciation for the things that make you happy.
We can learn to love the process. We can treat folding that 
darn sheet as a stoic exercise, like meditating, exercising. We can choose to re-frame the purpose of the task. We can use the fitted sheet to become grateful for its training.
Perseverance becomes a workout, like running. Folding that darn sheet becomes a physical meditation.
I am learning to say THANK YOU to obstacles and challenges for teaching me lessons and helping me grow stronger, more accepting of all the experiences of my life.
What is YOUR fitted sheet?
It’s waiting for you.
How will you fold it?
P.S. And I’m all for some creativity this summer…what about you?
previous This too shall pass…
There’s a fable behind the phrase, “this too shall pass” which has origins in Sufi and Hebrew folklore that feels like deep wisdom to me. I hope this story anchors it for you too. One day King Solomon asked Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want […]
Some fun puns on reading…
I love puns (form of word play that suggests two or more meanings) on books, reading, libraries… Pick your favorite! Aren’t words fun? funny? Share your favorite pun! […]
A Priceless Stone
There are people who can live their whole lives with the belief that they are worth nothing. Whether or not it is because of the message they received from their parents or friends, these people don’t know what their true value is and it makes them doubt their own skills and even the things they […]
Is there a Blue Monday?
If you wake up tomorrow morning (January 21st) feeling a little low, don’t worry. You’ve got a good excuse! Back in 2005, Life Coach Cliff Arnall at Cardiff University, said he had developed a formula that proved that the first Monday of the third week of January was the most depressing day of the year. […]
Shake it off and step up!
A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule braying (or whatever mules do when they fall into wells). After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was […]
January is…
We all seem to have this collective agreement that when December 31st meets January 1st, we will increase the yearly number by one and time will march on while we keep writing the wrong date on all our correspondence for a few weeks. You know, there are much better times in nature’s cycle to mark […]
Just for fun!
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music […]
a mini Zen story…
An old Zen master always told this parable to “unserious” students: Late one night a blind man was about to go home after visiting a friend. “Please,” he said to his friend, “may I take your lantern with me?” “Why carry a lantern?” asked his friend. “You won’t see any better with it.” “No,” said […]
Where does the darkness go?
We celebrate this coming Friday as the Winter Solstice, the turning point in our calendar as the daylight begins to increase each day. The solstice has the shortest period of daylight and also the longest night of the year. Yet, the light begins, ever so slowly, to return. The light and the dark move to […]