Exquisite & Working: A Recipe for Life

What if everything in your life was exquisite and working? What if you didn't tolerate anything that wasn't-- you fixed it, replaced it, or got rid of it. What if you only had around you things that pleased you? Everything else gets tossed, returned, or given away.

I have a sense that putting up with crap is responsible for a lot of life's misery. How much energy does it cost us to tolerate and ignore the irritants?

Of course not everyone has the same priorities. I don't need my car to be much more than reliable but I love a great haircut. I don't care about shoes but I need to have superb coffee or I'd rather not bother. Certain things must be exquisite, the rest just working, and it's different for each of us.

Today I replaced the temple guard on my glasses so that the jagged piece of metal is no longer sticking me in the ear. I've been tolerating it for two months. Every single time I would put on my glasses I had a slight yucky feeling. It took 10 minutes and cost $5.00 to fix. Now when I wear them I get a little jolt of pleasure with myself for dealing with it. Think of the energy I wasted! Count up all those yucky feelings and multiply them by the number of other things we live with-- the leaky washer, the ugly pajamas, the flickering computer screen. It's horrifying.

I can't afford to repair and replace everything that bugs me. But I can acknowledge that it's unacceptable and put it on the list to budget for as soon as it's feasible. I don't have to ignore it.

I want my life to be exquisite and working in every area. I'm not talking about luxuries, or even just things. It could be your job, or an idea you're developing, or the way you run your life. Does it please you? Is it working for you? You deserve to give yourself what you truly want, and by the same token you deserve to fix or get rid of everything else.