Is ‘Clean’ worthwhile?

'Why bother cleaning when things will just get dirty again?'

'Clean is for plodders. I'm creative'

These objections are all valid. When that will get you spending time in a sparkling environment, and not waste you energy on futile cleaing.

Lunchtime at Jiyugaku-en: playing in the mud

When I saw these Japanese children playing in the mud I was so impressed and inspired , I nearly cried. Can you see what it was about them that got me?

They had found a way to have all the fun, and none of the collateral damage of playing in mud. Every single lunchtime..

Look where the dirt is: on hands and soles of shoes. That’s it. No splashes or smears, no scratching an itchy nose with a muddy paw. There are no crunchy distractions for the afternoon classes.

The thing with these children isn't that they are clean. Thats a side effect. The inspirational thing is, they are mindful.

They listen to the nature of mud, the velocity at which it splashes, and they use the the exact right amount of speed or energy to plunge in.

They are aware of the impact of their actions. They trust each other.

My thought the moment I took this photo was ‘How beautiful would my life be if I navigated it this way?’

And thanks to these kids, that’s how I now play in the mud of my life. Every day I get better at surrounding myself with friends

who trust I won’t wreck their nice stuff, and let me come closer. Every day I have unsullied time where I get to do as I please, no longer chasing my tail and cleaning up my messes.

Make an elegant mud pie today. Maximise the upside, and leave no downside for your friends or future self. Watch the ripples you create, and be impressed.