Peace of Mind from a Pull Tab

 

We camped a lot when I was young, and those early experiences gave me a deep sense of peace of mind. My twin and I got used to tents, rocks, s’mores, and trout fishing from the time we were babies. My parents were careful with money, and they loved the outdoors. I am forever grateful that we learned the joy of being outside—harvesting wild huckleberries for our breakfast pancakes and learning to appreciate nature’s timing and beauty.

Small Acts that Bring Peace of Mind

I’m sure it was a full-time job to keep two girls busy and interested all the time, so my dad invented stories he told us in chapters over the campfire at night, and he made up games for us to play. One of the games he made up I’m sure was to keep us busy while he and Mom broke down the campsite on our final day. He would ask us to find as many bottle tops or pull tabs from soda and beer cans as we could.

This was way before recycling, so he offered to pay us each a penny for every tab or cap we found. I remember the game so well, because as he introduced it to us, he told us it was important we learned to always leave the campsite cleaner than when we arrived. For some reason, that resonated with me as a really terrific idea, and seemed to recreate the peaceful energy of being in nature.

Looking back, I realize I’ve been operating from that lesson for my whole life. I love doing small things that bring an area back into alignment. I look to see how I can help improve someone’s mood or illuminate an easier way to see something. I pick up trash when I am visiting or traveling, and I find satisfaction in smoothing the way for the living things around me.

One thing I love about my “cool-down” walk with my old dog is that she moves so slowly now I can pick up trash in my neighborhood and keep the park and streets around us clean. These little routines give me peace of mind.

Belonging and Peace of Mind in Daily Life

What a terrific legacy my dad left me. Now I wonder what the world might be like if we adopted this point of view of making things better wherever we are.
Can I catch myself before saying something critical and instead choose words that are kinder?
Can I step out of hurrying and see what action might realign something around me?
Can I say hello to a fellow dog-walker, so we get just a little more connected?

This is not about getting someone ELSE to do something. It is about my own deep satisfaction in living this way. I realize as I do these things I am experiencing belonging as I tend to what unites us, not what separates us. It delights me to know that whoever comes behind me will have a better experience because of the action I took! And that is where peace of mind comes from!

Now I wonder what the world might be like if we adopted this point of view of making things better wherever we are (see my earlier article “A Willing Shift in Perspective” here).