A Single Seed: Moving During Mayhem

As I'm writing this, I'm finally laying in bed in my new (rented) house. The majority of the move was done on Saturday, which just happened to be during what was probably the biggest rainstorm we've had all year. At one point, the rain and wind were blowing so hard that the only thing left to do was laugh (it was either that or cry). With running a business out of my home, the amount of inventory that I have on hand far exceeds what any sane person should ever possess. There were plenty of times when I found myself wondering why on Earth I got myself into this business; why did I leave my cushy job as an elementary gym teacher to subject myself to this misery? When morale was low, I kept coming back to two mental tools that have stuck with me over the years:

1. Everything is temporary.

Nothing in life lasts forever (including life itself). Any misery, joy, anger, or jubilation will pass eventually. And this includes the emotions that surface when you're moving 100's of bags of clothes in a downpour. No matter what it is, and how bad it may seem or feel, it will pass. You've just gotta weather the storm (literally and figuratively). One of the most important lessons I've ever learned.

2. Cultivating gratitude.

It was admittedly hard to see the bright side throughout the ordeal. But the main other thing that kept me going was reminding myself how lucky I was. How lucky I was to have a home to move into. A home that I was moving from. A business that sustains me. Friends to move in with. A car to fill to the brim with used clothing that I sell for a living. People who took times out of their lives (during a statewide quarantine) to come help me move. We all have so much to be grateful for, even on the worst of days.

You don't have to be moving to practice these two things. Realizing that nothing lasts forever is something that can be thought of with almost anything in this world. It can be sobering to think about the good things that will end, but for me it's been an incredible tool when dealing with any sort of discomfort, be it physical or mental. And you can never have too much gratitude. A grateful life is a happy life; by appreciating the things around you a little more, smells become savory, sunlight becomes healing, and your relationships become stronger.

These take practice, and have taken many years for me to strengthen. But by now, it's comforting to know that I can meet almost any challenge presented by using these two tools. And so can you. Even if you're moving in a hurricane.

"A Single Seed" is my attempt to get out one idea every day that I've learned or accumulated over the years, with the hope that it may stick in someone else's memory bank as well. The idea may be related to fitness, business, life, or philosophy, but I think you'll find that many can change domains if you wish them to. With each seed planted, a new life awaits.

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2010-07-02_Budget_moving_trucks