Non-toxic Cleaning
hoto by Rick Donhauser
Non-toxic cleaning:
it’s more than what’s in the bottle
When I faced the first major cleaning of our new home, I was beyond discouraged. It wasn't the size of the house that was daunting, but rather my reaction to the seeming carelessness of the workers. They had left stucco on the outside of the windows, drywall mud on the inside of the windows, paint and drywall mud on the bathroom fixtures, cement in a toilet drain, mud on the wood floor, and more. I was overwhelmed with anger. Toxic anger.
It was easy to be angry! Angry first at the workers for what seemed like carelessness, then at my husband for not hiring someone to clean, then at myself for not being proactive and preventing the mess in the first place.
As I sat in a moment of silence, the feeling of gratitude entered my conscious awareness. This was shocking! "Gratitude? You've got to be kidding," I argued. In spite of the surface 'chatter,' this feeling of gratitude remained, and the quieter I became, the deeper the welling up of gratitude.
I realized that this abiding presence of gratitude didn't mean that I was, nor should I be, grateful for the problem; rather, it meant that the spiritual quality of gratitude was an ever-present part of my true nature. It was clear that this sense of gratitude was part of my very being, no matter what the picture looked like or what my thought tried to argue.
It's important to point out that this feeling was not gratitude to someone or gratitude for something; it was simply a sense of infinite gratitude.
Experiences over the years had taught me that when we consciously experience one infinite spiritual quality, such as gratitude, we inevitably feel more. As I remembered this, I immediately felt a deep and abiding bliss. I also noticed that I could not distinguish between bliss and gratitude. It was as if they were one. That’s because they are!
I also suddenly became aware that our new home—in reality—was a manifestation of such qualities of consciousness as beauty, comfort, creativity, delight, orderliness, peace, protection, purity, serenity, and tranquility.
Instantly, I felt energy that I didn't realize I had. The job was done efficiently, and I enjoyed (almost) every minute. I say 'almost' because, as the job progressed, there were still moments when I was tempted to be angry. But whenever I recognized the din of angry thoughts as simply a powerless temptation to be distracted from my natural inner bliss, the anger disappeared.
When you embark on a cleaning project—or any project—be sure the following 'supplies' are in your work kit:
Peace (no fear)
Ease (no anger or resentment)
Clarity (no confusion)
Orderliness (nothing haphazard)
Confidence (no discouragement)
Timeliness (no procrastination)
Blissful Building explores the sustainable 'starting point' for any project or activity, whether it be washing windows or saying a prayer.
Copyright © 1995 Joy Hirshberg All rights reserved.
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