I came across this concept recently.  It comes from a Vietnamese monk called Thich Nhat Hanh.  

The quote goes like this: 

"Wash the dishes to wash the dishes."  

Simple yet pithy.

In our hurried...

...lives we get so caught up in things that we end up rushing everything, doing things just to get them done and tick them off our list.  We rarely take time to give thought and attention to what we're doing; we're already focussing on the next task.  We waste our time living in the future, never noticing or fully experiencing the present.  

And so often, this spills over to our relationships.  [We'll come back to this in today's Action Point.]

There's another...

...saying that is relevant to this: 

"One = All."

You see, it's about attitude: how we do one thing tends to be how we do all things.

If we...

...wash the dishes mindlessly, to what extent are we being mindless in other important areas of our lives?  

But if we do it with love and attention, what does that say about us as human beings?  

Which brings me to another saying I love: 

"We are human beings, not human doings."

ACTION POINT

How do you wash the dishes?  

In the dishwasher, I expect. But the point is, how do you approach those seemingly trivial tasks?  Do you give them your full presence and attention?  

Now ask yourself...

...to what extent are you guilty of not doing this in your relationships?

Are you fully present when you're talking with your people?  Or do you find them a distraction, stopping you from getting on and 'doing' your next task? 

Notice how... 

...you are 'being' in your interactions with others and, if necessary, bring your attention back to the present.  

If you're like me, it will take effort and practice.  But eventually it will feel a completely natural way of being.

What's amazing is... 

...how much richer it makes all your experiences.  

And you'll notice a huge difference in the way people respond to you.