Not Too Serious

Learn to love your duty and do it with a carefree heart.

I have started reading the art of joyful living by swami Rama. One point he comes to again and again is understanding what your duty is in the world and accomplishing it can bring you joy. As a modern American woman who is very grateful to be here and now I have a bit of a reaction to the word duty. It's something that is recent enough in our history to cause a bit of friction when faced with the idea. It wasn't that long ago that women were expected to perform very specific tasks and considered incompetent to perform others. As I have grown into an adult, been a mother and have been on this journey of practicing yoga and thereby understanding myself better, I have come to appreciate the joys of completing what are, currently, my duties.


We all have a list of stuff that we must get done in a day or in a week or in a month. We create conflict and tension within ourselves when we are unable or unwilling to complete these tasks. The dishes. Of all of the household chores this is the one I hate the most. I and my family have gotten a laugh in the past few months that it's now my job to do the dishes. Literally, as a home health aide, one of my jobs is to do the dishes. Here is a lovely example of performing a duty and deriving a feeling of satisfaction from it. I hate doing the dishes but I really find satisfaction in assisting people and helping make their lives easier. So, when I do the dishes for elderly patients who have a hard time standing long periods of time or for my fiancé who is a third shift worker and who is tired all the time, I find myself satisfied by completing those tasks, because I know someone's life has been improved by their doing.


Cooking dinner is another example of something that I don't enjoy. Only since having children have I learned to appreciate cooking a meal. Even in the first couple years of Izic's life I didn't do a lot of cooking.  Now, thankfully, I have a man who genuinely enjoys and is good at cooking. I don't mind doing the dishes if he makes the meal.


As far as duties in the world, that can be a little trickier. There are a lot more variables. Namely, other people. There's a degree of control you have at home that can't be imposed in the world. This kind of challenge can make the reward that much more satisfying. You have to really work for it.


This week we will practice strong, vigorous yoga with accompanying stillness. Can you do serious work with a light heart? Can you find the humor in your seriousness? This intention came to me when Sydonia was running around a studio without any pants on. She didn't care that she wasn't home, or that there were strangers walking outside. She was, and remains, free from the restraints of social construct. It's wonderful. Now, I am not suggesting you walk around half naked. But, maybe you could find a place within you that could have just as much fun being silly. I think you'll find everything is a little easier to take, every job is a little easier to complete, and everyone is easier to love when you look at the world with this new perspective.