The other day, I walked into my bedroom with a hot mug of tea. The overhead light was dimmed, the blinds open to let sun in. A lamp for soft lighting. A candle for good scents. My standing desk was emptied except for the exact project I was working on. A funky instrumental playlist bounced through my earbuds and I felt like I had set the scene perfectly to get some heavy focus work done.
And, of course, it helped. I was able to sit down sans distractions and crank out an important task. It felt nice, of course, to have everything I need right in front of me and to feel like the conditions were conducive to the work at hand.Â
But that won’t always be the case. Sometimes, my space will feel messy. Sometimes, my mind will be anywhere but where I want it to be. Sometimes, I will be loud and uncomfortable and it will be tempting to use that as an excuse for, well, whatever I need it to be an excuse for.Â
But what if instead of being a product of my environment, I let my environment be a product of me?Â
What if I could enter a space and bring my peace with me? What if every space could be perfect for every activity simply because it was the space I chose for the activity.Â
I have not perfected this.
But it’s reassuring to know that if I want to feel comfortable and peaceful, perhaps the best place to start is my own mind.
Perhaps, then, it is nice to aspire to serenity.
