I was recently adding some windshield wiper fluid to my car, and of course, spilling it all over the place (because I can never find a funnel when I need one.) Chug-a-lug -– this stuff gushes and spurts out so unevenly. A huge rush followed by a tiny wisp of a stream. This means most of it winds up on my driveway. My neighbour saw me struggling and immediately came to my rescue. She didn’t take the jug from my hand and finish the job but she did give me the tiniest tweak that made all the difference in the world. “Turn the bottle sideways, you won’t spill a drop”, she said. Cue parting of the clouds, a ray of sunshine and a choir of angels singing. This tiny correction made the wiper fluid flow perfectly. Every last bit of it made it into my windshield wiper reservoir! What a revelation!
Here’s how I normally hold the bottle–
Here’s the new improved approach–
This got me thinking about how many other areas of my life I toil and struggle with – going along as I also have because, quite simply that’s what I’ve also done. Even when faced with something truly daunting, something seemingly insurmountable or intractable — sometimes it’s the smallest change that yields the biggest reward.
It’s a great mindfulness practice to take a step back from the tolerations in your life and see if there’s a little tweak, a turn, a switch, a tightening or loosening that will make whatever you’re facing better, smoother, easier, and more enjoyable. If nothing else, I will never waste another drop of wiper fluid again.
