One of my favorite things about summer is mowing the lawn. I don’t think I’m the only one. I see a lot of happy people with headphones on, mowing away. I can make up a lot of reasons for why mowing can be enjoyable. Here are a few I came up with:

• Sense of Accomplishment. There is a beginning and end. You know what it looked like before you started and you know what it looks like at the end.

• Creativity. Some people like zig-zag, some like squares, some like the up and down—you can tell someone’s style just by looking at the lawn. 

• Focus. When mowing the lawn, that is where the energy is going. Yes, it can often be thinking time too—and a lot of folks like to zone out, listen to tunes or even experience the hum of the mower.

• Impact. When you get done mowing, you see the impact. No question here. Mowing made a difference.

• Exercise and Movement. Mowing gets you moving. Arms, legs, heart—they are all working. I realize the riding mower isn’t as much of a workout as a push one—and yet, there are still things you are doing physically. 

• Rhythm. There is a rhythm to mowing. Ask anyone who takes this seriously. There are better times of day, better days of the week (subject to each individual’s opinion, of course) and of course, the impact of when the rain or watering is being done.

As I think about the list, fulfillment comes to mind. There is something fulfilling about mowing and when I think of accomplishment, creativity, focus, impact, exercise, movement, and rhythm, I think about life. When we have those things in our daily life, we have more fulfillment—a little more pep in the step. 

The question is, how can we use the take away’s from the experience of mowing and apply them to our lives? What are you already integrating? What would you like to see more of in your own life?

Here are a few questions I posed to myself:

Where would I like to apply a little more creativity to my life?

Where are the places I am seeing an impact? Where would I like to see more impact?

What is my daily rhythm? Is this working for me? Where does my rhythm need to shift?

I invite you to come up with your own questions. What is this mowing analogy sparking for you?  Mow on!