To Inspire:

I recently came across a video of a girl who is about my age (early 20’s) and shared this quote. “If life is a cycle of dirty dishes and doing your laundry, that also means it’s a life filled with home cooked meals and clean clothes.” When researching, I couldn’t find who created this quote and instead learned that it’s a widely shared quote that has gone viral about shifting people’s perspectives on chores. The women in this video had a different take on the meaning of the quote that truly resonated with me.   

Instead of understanding the quote as a way to look at doing chores, she shared it’s a way to look at the safety and peacefulness of living a mundane life. At times I find myself constantly looking into the future and what is to come, whether that’s looking forward to moving to a different state, getting my own apartment, starting a family, etc. I think most people can relate to this feeling no matter what stage of life you’re in. It’s easy to either get wrapped up in the future or wrapped up in the negative aspects of your life. Humans aren’t naturally programmed to always be in the present and to always think positively. It’s an effort that takes time to understand and takes time to grow. Just like seeing the joy within your mundane life. 

In this video, the woman shared that we often don’t appreciate the mundane parts of our life because of those reasons such as not living in the present or having a negative mindset. It could be your coffee in the morning you make with the same beans and the same creamer every morning. Instead of letting that just be a part of your routine, think about how lucky you are to have the consistency of having those beans and milk in your home. How lucky you are to be able to make a warm beverage that your body craves first thing in the morning that for most of us, helps us get through the day. How lucky you are to be able to incorporate that into your daily routine as something you look forward to that might add just the right amount of dopamine to start your day.  

The routines we’ve become so used to that we might not think to look at everyday as a blessing have become lost in today’s world. With social media, we’re constantly able to see what others are doing and with that comes comparison. Little do you know we’re gifted with such safety when living a mundane life. Yes, that beautiful beach vacation on an all-inclusive resort you saw on Instagram would be a blessing, but not having to worry about where your next paycheck is coming from, being able to access a grocery store every day, pulling your clean warm clothes out of the dryer, and having a comfortable place to rest with a roof over your head is the true blessing.  

This isn’t to say that we can’t have goals for ourselves and aspirations for our future but we can also wake up every day with a newfound appreciation for the simple life, the mundane life.  

Written by Ell Huelskamp, Summer Marketing Intern