Coffee Break with the Chief Barista

    I love my job!
    As I think about the many tasks I perform here at Java Journal, it occurs to me that each could be considered boring and mundane. Many of the tasks, such as typing, checking email, writing checks, paying bills and organizing files, I’ve performed for many years without much satisfaction. You might be thinking that the satisfaction I feel is coming from my role as chief barista. I’ve considered that notion and I’ve tested it in other areas of my life. What I’ve found is that feeling good and satisfaction has little to do with position, power or the nature of the task.
    Here’s something that I have always disliked – balancing my checkbook. Many years ago, I developed a little trick to get it done. I would set my checkbook on my dining room table, and as I put it there I would say, “I’m just putting it here, but I am NOT going to balance my checkbook.” A few minutes later as I walked past it, I would say, “I’m NOT going to balance that checkbook, I’m just going to set this pencil next to it.” The next haughty pass by the checkbook, I would say, “I’m not balancing this checkbook, I’m just going to set the bank statement down next to it.” Pretty soon, I was balancing the book and it didn’t feel bad at all.
    Now, replace that unwanted task (balancing the checkbook) with washing dishes, doing the laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the bathroom, making beds, paying bills, repairing a fence, calling the phone company, changing the furnace filter, buying tires or mopping the floor. The majority of our time is spent performing tasks that many of us consider mundane or even unpleasant. Do you get where I’m going here? Altogether, those tasks form the bulk of our lives. So why not find a way to enjoy them?
    Back to the checkbook trick. I have come to see that what I was actually doing was getting myself into alignment with the task I didn’t want to do. I was pondering it, walking around it, fussing and fuming about it until I found a place of allowing — a place that felt good enough in relationship to the task that I could get it done without too much discomfort.
    So now, before I do anything, I try to get into alignment with it. That is, I try to get into a good-feeling place. And through this practice, I have found that there are so many fewer things that I dislike doing. And with fewer things to dislike, my experiences are more and more enjoyable.
    It just comes down to making the decision that there’s nothing more important than feeling good. Sounds selfish, but even if you believe that the most important thing is helping others, it can be accomplished much more easily from a place of joy (allowing) than a place of discomfort (disallowing).
    The other important aspect about the checkbook trick is that I had found a way to take action. Phylis Clay Sparks talks about taking action on page 6. As she points out, nothing happens until there is action. Sometimes the necessary actions are hard to execute. But if we remember that thinking about the undesirable action is sometimes harder than the action itself, we might find ourselves becoming more willing to get moving. I hope you’ll read her article. Phylis is a great inspiration to me and I’m extremely grateful for her wisdom and her friendship.
    I hope you’ll also take a few moments to look at the wonderful submissions for the “Exuberance” Photography Contest starting on page 12. It truly makes my heart sing to look at all the inspiring photographs representing exuberant St. Louisans in action. 
    This month, Java Journal has significantly increased its distribution. We’ve come a long way over the past couple of years—and we’re growing more than ever before. My thanks to our readers for their suggestions and contributions to Java Journal.
    Life is so good!
   
    Marian