There is a homeless man living in Central Park whom I see each morning on my way to work.  I haven’t made friends with him, as he turns away when people pass by, so I haven’t wanted to bother him.  What I find most intriguing is how he lives.  He has suitcases and some belongings, all of which are neatly put together no matter where he may be in the park.  When he moves his things, he sets them up very carefully – artfully, even.  I always know his belongings, as they are arranged so mindfully. 

When I see this man and his belongings, I’m struck by the care he gives to the meager possessions he has.  His way of being reminds me of what I’ve read about the Findhorn community in Scotland.  I don’t know what they do these days, but there was a time when one of the teachings at Findhorn was to respect, acknowledge, and care for all the utensils and belongings that serve us in our daily lives.  For example, when someone would use gardening tools – hoes, rakes, whatever – at the end of the day these tools would be cleaned and carefully put in their place before the work was considered to be done.  It is a gratitude practice, as well as a form of mindfulness.

This is not about the kinds of “make your bed” messages and rules that most of us experienced as children.  Instead it’s an invitation to be fully present to our surroundings, to the contributions made by all the things in our lives – which were created by people we’ll never meet – and to be aware of how we move through, and interact with, our environment.

I know that I’ve offered experiments like this many times over these years, and will no doubt continue to return to ways of practicing being mindfully present.  For this particular experiment, I invite you simply to pay attention to all the various things in your life that you encounter on an ongoing basis.  The next time you wash dishes, cook with a pot or pan, sit on a piece of furniture, use a pair of scissors, or change a lightbulb, for example, take a moment to be conscious of the service offered to you by whatever it is you’re engaging.  Notice how you treat these items in your home.  Are you respectful of them or do you toss them aside without a thought?

As always, there are no right answers, and there’s no need for going into any kind of judgment about what you discover about your relationship to the things in your life.  Instead, it’s an opportunity to notice, yet again, how consciously you inhabit your environment, how consciously you move through the routine of your day.  One of the benefits of living mindfully and consciously is that everyday moments come alive in a new and energized way because they are more deeply, more fully lived.