Find joy in life’s messes

Sometimes, just when we need a dose of inspiration, it strikes from out of the blue. Maybe it’s something you hear in a sermon, maybe a passage you read in a book, or, in these modern times, it’s likely it comes in the form of an internet meme. That last thing happened to me just this morning, when this bit of Instagram wisdom popped up in my feed:

“Beware of Destination Addiction—a preoccupation with the idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job, and with the next partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are.”

Wow, right? Haven’t we all been guilty of thinking this way? It’s true throughout all stages of life. As a kid, we would think, “When I get that new bike, my life will be complete!” or “If only my dad would let us get a puppy, I would be happy!” As we got older, our wishes got bigger: “If so-and-so asks me to Prom, if I get into that prestigious college, if our team wins the championship…THEN I’ll be happy!” As adults, it might be, “Once we’re married…,” or “When my baby starts sleeping through the night…,” or “If we moved into a bigger house…, or “If I lose 10 pounds… THEN I’ll be happy.”   Well, I’m about to drop my own little nugget of internet philosophy on you today: The problem with this kind of thinking is that, in some ways, living life is like keeping house. You know that feeling of satisfaction you get when all of the laundry is clean, folded, and put away? Or the peace of mind that comes from having a house that has been cleaned from top to bottom? Of course we realize that those feelings are fleeting—because 10 minutes later your kid will be home from school, emptying his gym bag of a week’s worth of sweaty clothes into the hamper (or onto his bedroom floor)… And eventually you’re going to have to mess up the kitchen in order to make dinner… If you’re truly living in your house, it’s going to get messy. And, on the other hand, if you are being too careful not to do anything to mess it up, it’s going to get dusty and cobwebby and musty and stale. Life is just like this. Just when you think you’ve reached your goal and found your bliss, something comes along and messes it up again. Just when you get that bike you always wanted— then your best friend rides up on one that’s even cooler… That prestigious college you got into is great, but now you’re having second thoughts about the major you’ve chosen… Your baby is finally sleeping through the night, but now she’s having a hard time in daycare… If you’re truly living your life, the messes keep on coming. And if you are being too careful not to mess things up—if you’re trying to stick with the status quo—life is going to get dusty and cobwebby and depressing and stale. The trick is to learn to embrace the messiness—to grab some happiness wherever you are. Appreciate and be happy about the clean house and the empty laundry hamper while it’s there, sure. But enjoy messing it up, too! Life is never going to be perfect, and we all have bad days—but there will always be something to appreciate in every day. When we learn to seek and find the happiness in the midst of the messiness, our lives become a little bit more meaningful. And when the messiness truly does become too much to bear, it helps to have someone to call on to help you deal with it. Hopefully, you have a close friend or family member to reach out to to help you deal with the messes in your life—and Immaculate Clean is always there to help you deal with with the messes in your house!

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