I was looking at my To-Do list yesterday. “Looking” is the operative word. Not completing the items on my To-Do list. I get as much pleasure making these lists as I do window shopping. But looking at the result, the long list itself, is like picking up the bill after an extravagant meal at a restaurant (hmm…when was the last time I’ve been to a restaurant…I guess back in the days when the bill was cheaper than the babysitting!)
I ask, as many others do, how am I going to get this done. In addition, like most people, I am “working” on myself and trying to make others in my life happy too. Just those two things, working on my personality and making others happy (hmm..how do you “make” someone “happy”?) are enough to occupy a lifetime. How can I do a all these things AND work on myself AND bring light to others.
Bring light to others. I’m reminded of something the Lubavitcher Rebbe said often, “A little light banishes much darkness.” And something else the Rebbeim of Chabad have taught; one should be a Lamplighter, and bring light to the souls of others. Even if the lamp itself looks rusted or needs cleaning or hopelessly damaged, still, a small flame is all that is needed to provide enough light to illuminate the street, the world.
So what does this have to do with my “to do” list? If I can make everything in my “to do” list fit this particular aim, of kindling a flame in my own soul and bringing that light to others, wouldn’t my to-do list seem easier? If everything is devoted to this goal, won’t I be more motivated to check off items in the list?
Cooking, cleaning, changing diapers are certainly tasks that improve the lives of those around me. And more than that, if the tasks are done joyfully, with the aim of bringing light rather than just completing a chore, they can contribute to the happiness and the good energy in the home. I sometimes think “What is the point. The dishes will get dirty again.” But every clean dish is a building block that in a small way improves someone’s life.
This also applies to my job, going to the store, greeting a neighbor, making a phone call, sending an e-mail and hopefully this blog.
A light cannot be resisted. It sends away the darkness and influences everything around it.