I’ve been mowing lawns every since I was 7 or 8 years old.  Of course I got paid for it when I was younger, so while I didn’t enjoy it at least I got paid for the job.  It was a miserable experience for me since I have both grass and tree pollen allergies(we didn’t know that at the time though).

Flash Forward to Today:

I’ve had a series of immunization shots for my allergies, so my allergies has been taken care of, but now I don’t get any benefit from mowing the lawn… or do I?

Although I don’t get paid, I do derive benefit from mowing my lawn.  First, I have a push mower, so I get a small workout of sorts just by mowing my lawn myself.  While this is not enough in itself as an exercise program, it can be one piece in a weekly exercise routine.  I also save money by not having someone else mow my lawn.  Both of the previous points are obvious.

The not so obvious benefit is that I’m able to to have time to myself, no interrupts from kids, in fact, nobody bothering me with anything at all!  It’s my own “Temple of Solitude“, albeit a noise one.

Have you learned to take an activity that you hated when you were younger and convert it into something beneficial today?  The mind is a funny thing, and if we try hard enough we can effectively change the way we perceive our surroundings.

-MR