Peel the Eggs

In an effort to eat healthier, I decided to make some boiled eggs.

I boiled the eggs for about 10–12 minutes. Took them out and put them in a bowl of ice-cold water and let them cool off for about another 10 minutes.

Now it was time to peel the eggs. My 5-year-old twins asked if they could help when they saw how “fun” it was to peel the eggs. So I gave each of them a paper plate to peel their eggs.

This seems like an ordinary moment. And you would be right. As ordinary as they come. But as the kids and I were peeling our eggs, I felt something I haven’t felt in a while.

Maybe it was peace. Or calmness. But I was completely immersed IN the moment. Nothing else happening. I wasn’t listening to a podcast, cleaning the house and thinking about bills I needed to pay all in the same moment. I was doing ONE thing. Peeling eggs.

I was able to notice the smile on each of my kid’s faces as their little fingers were chipping away at the shell. That by itself made the moment worth it. I was present.

Peeling eggs would most likely win the award for the most boring thing in the world to do. But what if embracing boring things is a pathway to a more present life?

One of my new favorite quotes is from Dallas Willard. He once was asked, “What do I need to do to become the me I want to be?” After a long pause, Willard said: “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life”.

Brilliant. But how?

What do we do on our phones when we want to eliminate distraction?

Do Not Disturb.

I like to think a tiny ninja comes out who takes all the attention sucking things in life and karate chops each one as they come. But it’s probably just fancy software.

To help ruthlessly eliminate hurry in our lives, we need to do more things that promote Do Not Disturb. And oftentimes, those are found in the everyday mundane things in life like peeling eggs.

So where do you need to stop and peel the eggs in your life? I’d love to start a conversation!