Overcoming life’s Mediocrity

As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living

New dimensions of the soul will not emerge – Henry Van Dyke

Life is generally good, but we don’t always see it that way, especially when we are feeling trapped or helpless. Some people will agree with me that our world is increasingly becoming fast paced. From the moment we open our eyes at dawn to the time we shut it at night, it is a continuous cycle of activity, from one to the next. Sometimes we even have no time to enjoy a simple meal, or family times because we have our minds set on the next thing on our “to do” list. Most of us wake up at the same time every day, eat the same breakfast, take the same route to work, work with the same people for years. While our bodies detest some of what we do, our rational intellectual minds always remind us that we cannot quit since we have bills to pay and life’s needs to meet. So we feel stuck. I am not advocating that it is wrong to have set routines. It would be unconventional not to have one. Everybody needs some kind of order lest they have more chaos to contend with. Routines are great in creating structure which is essential for effective management in any setting. The point I am trying to make here is that life can become monotonous if one is not careful. For example, there are people who have good jobs, receive good pay checks and appear pretty comfortable, but are not happy.  What can be said about those who have no jobs or lack some basic comforts like accessibility to cable or internet network, or ability to make annual trips?

My question is them is: how can we keep life exciting and fulfilling when we have to do same things every day all week, year round?  Here is my little list of things to do:

a.    Be in touch with your feelings: show emotions when you experience them.

b.   Enjoy the people in your life, show them that you care and they will respond. 

c.    Try new methods of prayer such as novenas, vocal or centering prayer (meditation); attend mass in a different parish, join your church choir.

d.   Explore New Interests: How to sing or play a musical instrument, a new menu, Video games, sports, and craft. Look for volunteer opuntuniities.

e.    Change old habits: Give up watching television for a week and listen to the radio or read the newspapers instead 

f.      Hang out with different people: Eat in different restaurants,

Change your job or take a different way to work, if possible

g.   Move to a city if you can afford.

h.   Save up for a vacation and actually take it, and don’t go to the same place all the time

i.       Form new relationships; make new friends.

Of all the things listed above, the one that appeals to me the most is my desire to explore new ways of having a deeper relationship with God. As a Christian, I believe that prayer is the most powerful weapon against mediocrity. In prayer, I am able to hand the realm of my affairs to God who is more than able to sustain my joy. When God becomes my deepest satisfaction in life, every other thing is bonus.

“Today I divide my day between being an actor, a producer and a distributor and the monotony is broken” – Ajay Devgan