mandy inchaustegui

So, I was brushing my teeth the other day…

I promise this is something that I do reasonably often but this time was a little different for me. Usually, brushing my teeth involves scrubbing as fast as I can just to get done with this necessary part of my day. To be fully honest, I am more than likely brushing my teeth, as well as picking up toys or clothes, wiping a nose or writing what I need to do as soon as I get done brushing my teeth on my to-do list. (Holding the brush in your mouth while you write totally counts towards that whole brush-your-teeth-for-two-minutes thing, right?)

Anyway, I was rushing through my brushing and a thought popped in my head of something I’d heard recently about slowing down and enjoying life. For some reason, I gave it a shot. I took a deep breath, stood still and took time to slowly brush every tooth really well. (My dentist would’ve been so proud!)

After the spit and rinse, I was almost in heaven. My teeth felt amazing! I know this might sound silly but I stood for a minute just enjoying the feeling of clean teeth, which was actually a very great way to leave the bathroom to start my day. I’d been going through a bit of a tough spell, not really finding enjoyment in anything. It was as if taking a moment to enjoy clean teeth changed my outlook for the entire day.

At least for a little while.

I began to pay more attention and realized that, especially with the normal, daily aspects of my life, I rush through life and miss out on actually enjoying what I’m doing. I forget to enjoy cooking because I’m just trying to get dinner on the table. I don’t enjoy the beauty of looking at the mountains through the palm trees because I’m rushing to get to school on time. I don’t enjoy the smell and feel of fresh, clean sheets because I just want to go to sleep. I don’t enjoy the novel because I’m just trying to get to the end to get to the main point of the book.

And those are just the simple things, not to mention enjoying the more important aspects of my life like my husband, kids, friends and meaningful activities that I’m engaged in.

It’s not that I fear that I’m going to miss out on something because I’m rushing through life. With kids, people tell me, “Enjoy it now! It goes so fast!” True, but I’m kinda ok with the change and growing part. For me, I want to do a lot and life is short. I must move at as efficiently as I can, doing all I can to make a difference and living well in the process.

It’s that “living well” part that gets me every time. I might get a lot done but will I have enjoyed my life while doing it? I might have accomplished a lot but did I have a strong sense of well-being as I was accomplishing those things?

I want to be aware of the pleasures to be found in the midst of the “doing.” The sights. The smells. The laughter. The exploring. And the smooth, glorious feeling of clean teeth!