C.C. and I went to a movie last night. Our intent had been to go see, the Best Marigold Hotel but I got the time wrong for that theatre and we were too late.

I suggested not worrying about the first 15 minutes but C.C. is a purist. It won’t make sense, he said.

Then, let’s start it now and stay for the beginning of the next show, I suggested. I like to read the endings of books first so I don’t mind what order the story is told in.

Again, the purist in C.C. demurred. How about Marvel’s Avengers. It’s in 3D.

Which is why fifteen minutes later, as the movie began, C.C. and I were sitting in a darkened theatre (that was very crowded I  might add) looking like we were hiding out from paparazzi in our dark glasses, munching popcorn and watching a movie I never thought I’d see. (I’m not terribly into action adventure heroes and blow ’em ups and on the edge of your seat dramatic turns at every pop! dazzle! wham!)

It was fun, though at the end, I had to admit I was exhausted. I thought I’d fall off my seat with every frame, I told him. And seriously… When you sit with every muscle of your body clenched for two hours in anticipation of having to dodge something flying out the screen at you as silvery objects flew around the air above your head, you’re going to be tired!

But that’s actually not what this post is about. It’s about what happened after the movie. What I did to disturb my peace of mind.

As we got up from our seats to leave (and yes, we did stay until that final snickering smile in the ending credits) I thought about picking up the empty popcorn bag, the candy wrapper and the water bottles. My mind wanted to, but I was sluggish.

Nah, I told myself. They’ve got young cleaner uppers who come and clean the aisles and seats between showings. I’ll just leave it.

And I did.

And that’s where my peace of mind became disturbed.

I don’t like leaving mess for others to have to clean up.

I don’t like being inconsiderate.

Now, I know it’s not a big thing, but it’s the little things that add up to big things that create the problems with my peace of mind.

So, yesterday I chose not to clean up my mess in the theatre. What if that one slip leads to another today. Like I decide not to pick up after my dog. Or I choose not to pick up the piece of paper I threw at the garbage can at the gas station and leave it lying on the ground…. What then?

See, it’s not the ‘doing’ that is eating at my peace of mind. It’s the post doing thinking about how I could have and chose not to that disturbs me. And, because I don’t want to be ‘that’ woman who didn’t carry her garbage out at the end of the movie, I need to be vigilante in ensuring I don’t fall into believing, this one time, is not a precursor of a next time.

Yes, I am being dramatic. You might even say I’m blowing it out of proportion like an action hero blowing up an alien mid-air. ‘Don’t be ridiculous! That’s not possible!’

Anything is possible. Just look at the movie last night. Portals opening up in the sky, Aliens streaming down set on destroying earth — anything is possible….

It is possible for me to let go of my principles. It is possible for me to lose ground, to lose my peace of mind by not doing the right thing.

‘Fessing up. Coming clean. Making a commitment to always take out  my garbage (whether in a movie theatre, a gas station or the back-country) are all part of living with integrity and creating value in a world where my difference is something that creates peace of mind within me and all around me.

It’s the small things that build a path to big things. To be great, I need to do small things with great spirit. To live in peace, love and harmony, I need to take out the garbage.

Namaste.