What I Learned about Self-Compassion From My Vacuum Cleaner
A personal reflection by Karen Bluth on resistance, adaptation, and the unexpected self-compassion lessons she found in daily life.
By Karen Bluth, PhD
Published
Who would have thought I could learn about self-compassion – and life – from my new vacuum cleaner? SERIOUSLY? Truthfully, I was initially resistant to getting one of those Roomba vacuum cleaners. Who needs one, I thought. I’ve got a decent vacuum, and besides, vacuuming is one chore I don’t mind so much. But my friends impressed upon me the joys of reading a good book while your Roomba was scurrying around your floors, and then there was a sale, and who can resist a bargain, right? I succumbed. Little did I know how much my life would change, and how much I would learn from observing Ira – our new I-Roomba, do its thing. There are so many life lessons I learned from Ira, but here are just…