“Do your dishes before you change the world.”
To be mindful is to be at peace.
Mindfulness is an important concept in the Buddhist path to enlightenment. It is the awareness of what we are doing in the moment. When we are aware of only what we are doing right now, we are at peace with our surroundings and ourselves.
In order to give effectively, we need to be mindful as we give. Giving our time to help someone else is diminished when we focus on our needs at the same time. By concentrating on the here and now, we can more fully appreciate the value of what is given. When we expect something in exchange for our giving, we are not giving mindfully.
That is what Thich Nhat Hanh is saying. If we are going to do the dishes, do the dishes. If we are going to change the world, change the world. Be mindful of what we are doing right now.
Those small acts help to keep us grounded and at peace. And if we are at peace, we are making the world better.
By doing the dishes mindfully, we are changing the world.
Did the dishes, scrubbed the stove, and cleaned the counters. All mindfully.
Give Our Time 
*thumbs up* How much time per day do we spend on “insignificant” things and routine jobs? Just imagine to what it would add up if everyone did them mindfully, shutting up mind chatter, negativity, worries… You are absolutely right – it DOES change the world 🙂
In some ways, *what* we do matters less than *how* we do it.
Thanks for the thought, Maria.
I loved this article and cannot wait to hear from you in my emails too.
Thank you Jackie. I’ll try to deliver.