Ikigai (FLOW) and the Inevitability of Household Chores!!

First and foremost, let me say, that the purpose of this piece is NOT an attempt at humour or anything resembling remotely risible. It's just an attempt to share my thoughts with my friends (that is YOU, dear Readers) with the hope that I will not be judged and that some of you might find yourselves agreeing with what I am about to say!! If some of you find this funny and if you double up with mirth, well, that's a happy side affect of what follows !!

So, first off the bat, as the heading says, this blog is about Ikigai - in a way - (about which I had mentioned in one of my more recent articles) - and which loosely translated means the reason that one gets out of one's bed every morning - and doing as mundane a thing as Sweeping (using a broom and a dust pan), Dusting (again, using the humble Broom - or for someone inclined to specifics - a Flower Broom) and Washing clothes (using hands, buckets, detergent and of course, water!) in our houses. All thanks to the 'lockdown' that has been imposed courtesy Mr. Covid 19 (such an ignominy can only be a 'Mr.' and not a 'Miss' I'm quite sure. No lady would be so heartless, or so crude!!!). And just so that we are on the same page, here's a definition of the word 'Flow' (which is a sub concept of Ikigai) - Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines the concept of flow as “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.

I am a Wealth Manager by profession. So, I advise individuals and corporates on how best to manage their surplus funds, given their risk and return expectations and certain other criteria. As one can imagine, this job has a lot of variables - government policies, the state of the markets, how the global and the domestic economy is faring, the collective human psyche, and now - pandemics. Truth be told, at the best of times, it is trying to find a way in the dark with just a sliver of light, some common sense, little bit of knowledge and a little bit of luck. The reason I'm saying this is that when I say that I find the process of hand washing clothes, sweeping the house or dusting the window sills akin to being in a state of 'flow', its because there are so many imponderables and uncertainties in my professional life, that when I do an activity where the output is almost exactly proportional to the input, its a HUGE relief!!! While, 'Flow' is all about the process, in my case, its the process and also the fact that it leads to a predictable result! And that is one reason that in spite of all the doom and gloom surrounding the current state of affairs (both from an economic and medical point of view), I don't think staying at home and working from home is such a bad idea! It's a good thing, in more ways than one can imagine - but more on that later.

Coming back, whats the connection between 'flow' and, say, hand washing clothes?? Just think about it. Its a process - soak the clothes in a mix of warm water and a generous amount of detergent, let them soak for about 60 minutes, just rub the clothes softly (no thumping them or beating them against the floor as we are wont to imagine!!), rinse, put them out to dry in the sun and voila!! You have a set of clothes that are sparkling, bright, and disinfected (from the strong rays of the sun!). The process of washing clothes itself is also not too bad either. Its not half as arduous or 'back breaking' as one makes it out to be, in my view. The satisfaction of seeing the water turn a dull and dirty grey after one has soaked sheets or curtains and then seeing all that dirt get washed away is not to be chafed at! At all!! Add to that the smug satisfaction of being able to sleep on that very same sheet at night, a sheet that almost crackles with the new found crispness the first time one spreads it on the bed! Also, the process of properly drying the clothes on the line. Each piece of clothing properly spread so as to enhance the surface area and to ensure efficiency (this too is a process, by the way - how to dry clothes 'effectively'). By efficiency, I mean that since the clothes have already had water squeezed out of them and are fastened with clips (summer days in north India can be windy sometime), they needn't stay out the entire day. I can simply take them down after a couple of hours of being in the relatively early morning sun or by noon. That way, they get disinfected, and the colours don't fade since they are not subjected to the harsh rays of the afternoon sun! All this sounds a bit too much, I realize that. But, as I mentioned earlier ladies and gentlemen, it's a PROCESS! Follow it, revel in it, enjoy it and the spoils are for you to enjoy! Fresh, Bright, Nice smelling, Clothes!!!

Same goes for sweeping. I happen to live in a house with lots of trees around (mostly in the lane, and one right outside my house). This time of the year, these trees (Laburnums, also known as 'Golden Rain' - they have bright yellow flowers for about 2 months in summer - May and June - and dark green leaves the rest of the year) shed their leaves in copious quantities and have to be cleaned almost on a daily basis. Add to this the dust laden winds that abound in Delhi during April-June, and you have a perfect recipe for full bodied effort into keeping the surroundings fit for human habitation! For anyone who's attempted to clean dust laden dead leaves along with twigs and dried mud, it's almost like an exercise in futility! The silly thing just goes up in the air after one swish and settles back again! All that one's done is just increase one's work! Well, there is a solution to this problem and a 'way' of doing this chore. I am not a trained house help, but with a little bit of common sense and some luck I figured out a way. And its been smooth sailing after that! Every other day, I stand witness (beaming with pride and satisfaction!) to a clean, dust free driveway! The task was difficult at first, but now, after getting used to the act, it's not at all boring and the results justify the effort! As I had mentioned earlier - you think of the most efficient way of doing A task, do it, and the fruits of labour are for you to gloat over! Perfect correlation - Effort and Result! There is a little bit of luck involved of course. It always is. But that's okay. That much uncertainty, I can live with. In fact, that much of uncertainty is also welcome. That's what adds the 'zing' to the whole experience! It's like what I had mentioned in one of my early pieces - while Running (I am an amateur long distance runner - half marathons and the like), its always good to have a little bit of head wind to enjoy the experience of running. If its only a tail wind, or no wind, the timing will be better, sure. But for me at least, unless I can feel the wind on my face, rustling through my hair (whatever's little left of it!!) I won't be able to enjoy the run. The timing is important because it tells me I am getting better, more efficient, fitter. That's what results do, they tell you whether or not the effort has been worth your while. But if I am enjoying the process - be it Running, or sweeping or washing clothes - then I am in a state of 'flow' and that's what matters more. I am - HAPPY!! Of course, I will keep out an eye for the results to get better and more efficient with time (and that will give me material or 'essential to the senses' kind of experiences - I mean if I wash well, I get clean clothes - eyes, if I cook well, I can eat nutritious and delicious food - taste, if I clean well, I get to live in disease free and clean surroundings, etc etc). But to my mind, if I focus more on the method, do it better, improve, results inevitably follow.

Summing it up, I had never imagined my life as it is today. But I believe that there is a purpose and timing for everything, and whatever's happening is happening for a good reason. I feel closer to my family than ever before (both literally and metaphorically!!) and am able to derive pleasures from the simplest of things! Hopefully, when things do get back to 'normal' (what is that anyway??) lessons learnt in these times will not be forgotten, and we will all be so much the better for it!!

Until next time!

Ciao!