Shaving Grandpa's Beard

Taking my life in my own hands by letting my grandkids shave off my goatee.

Photo by Dušan veverkolog on Unsplash

Much of our life is routine, going through the motions, doing things at home, online, and at work without much forethought.

We follow patterns we've built over many years.

Yesterday I shaved off my goatee. That’s my granddaughter ‘C’ helping me.

audio narration by David Marlow

A few years back, for reasons I don’t recall, I thought it would be a good idea to have my grandson ‘E’ help me.

Now that his younger sister is older she wants to help as well so they both assisted me for the past two years.

The goatee comes off this time of year as a nod to Spring or Summer depending on timing, even if the weather doesn't always agree.

Also because I get tired of having to shave so precisely. Without the goatee, I can simply move my razor across my face without even being in front of a mirror.

The downside of this is I can also be somewhat mindless when I shave.

Contrast this with an Ikigai life where things are done consciously and with intention.

A life where you focus on doing things with awareness, fulfilling your values and purpose.

This morning I had every intention of shaving mindfully. Being present in every moment, experiencing my shave.

That was my intention. I didn't even come close to that.

I grabbed my razor from the bathroom and then remembered something I needed to do on the computer. Without realizing it, I had finished my shave while typing something with one hand and shaving with the other.

I have a vision for the kind of person I want to be every day. I'm striving to live from and into that place in my Ikigai.

I practice operating with intention, not all the time, though increasingly.

When I live with more intention, my life is more purposeful, consciously lived, and aligned.

Sometimes I transcend, other times, like today, I suck and keep going.

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🌀Reflection:

What everyday thing like shaving could you do more mindfully?

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