Pages

Friday, October 21, 2011

Love what you Hate


I know it sounds simplistic, but did you realise that if you really hate doing something, just tell yourself you love it and it won’t seem half as bad.  You might even find yourself enjoying it!  

I discovered this about a year ago.  We had a big party for New Year’s Eve, as we always do.  It was 4.30am when the last guests left, I turned round and just groaned.  We’d had entertained 30 people for a 5 course dinner followed by champagne, party poppers , drinking and dancing into the early hours, so you can imagine the site I saw.  “Never mind Nicks, I’ll clear it up in the morning” said my husband.   New Year’s Eve is my birthday and I always spend the entire day preparing and the evening serving and entertaining.  It was a good night, but I always hate the after bit.  


Anyway, this year I decided to try something different.  I did leave everything and go off to bed as I was shattered, but I went to bed telling myself I was really looking forward to getting up in the morning and clearing up that mess.  I don’t think I really believed myself at the time, but that was what I kept repeating in my head as I drifted off into a heavy, slightly drunken sleep.  Just 3 hours later at 7,30 I was wide awake.  I couldn’t wait to get up and get stuck into that cleaning.  I’m not joking, I genuinely could not get back to sleep because I was keen to get the house cleaned up.  Anyone who knows me well, will know this is very out of character.  I’m not known for my enthusiasm for housework.  To be honest I’d rather do the VAT return than clean the floor (and I hate doing the VAT return)! So, I got stuck into it while everyone else slept.  By 9am when Gary surfaced the dishwasher was on it’s second load, the tables had all been cleared, the rubbish collected and the floor swept and I felt really good about it.  What a great start to the New Year.

So now, if there’s anything I really dislike doing or am not looking forward to, I just tell myself I love it – it works every time!  Maybe I’m just easily fooled, but it works for me.  Wouldn't it be great if we could apply this to people.  Love who you hate. Don't you think it would make the world a better place?

7 comments:

  1. Hello Nikki

    I so agree with this point of view. I feel likewise about washing up following a party but I wear my nice rubber gloves, fill the sink with boiling hot water and wash the Waterford and crystal and while doing so remind myself of each person who drank from the glasses and remember the evening and fun.
    Thanks for the reminder
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm not sure I could ever love cleaning the bathroom or changing bedsheets, but I do quite enjoy clearing up after guests and restoring order after out of the chaos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Helen that's a nice way of looking at it.

    @Midlife Singlemum yes there is a certain satisfaction when order returns. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think this is a great way to look at life - and why not? :) XOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great way of looking at life...very encouraging write. I so liked your blog...beautiful work... :) :)

    Greetings
    Marinela

    ReplyDelete
  6. I remember when I had a house full of kids and how I didn't like housework, or grocery shopping and putting away all the food once I came home.

    Then I learned this trick: Telling myself I was grateful I had a house to clean, grateful I had money to buy food, grateful I had all this food to put away. And so on and so forth. After all, what if I did NOT? So many people do not.

    Our mind is a very powerful tool!

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Happy Homemaker UK and @Short Poems, glad you liked it and why not indeed.

    @Miss Footloose That's so true, it's easy to moan about all we have to do, but we are very lucky to have them in the first place.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete