Check it at the Door

This recipe is designed as an invitation to make a conscious choice about what energy and disposition we bring into a room, whether that's at at home alone, with your family or when you're hosting a gathering. We've all had the experience of not truly being present at home because we're thinking about that email you have to send, and the package you have to pick up, and that person you need to call back...this recipe creates the opportunity to check those distractions at the door (you can pick them back up later if you need) so that we can be more present with ourselves and our beloveds.

Serves: you and anyone else who comes through your door

Time: 15 minutes to prepare

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Ingredients

• a decorative box, jar, anything that will be noticed enough in your entry way to make you slow down and capable of holding bits of paper

• index cards, sticky notes, paper scraps

• a pen

• optional: a note or printed signage to prompt checking your distractions at the door

How To

1. Set up your box near your entry way. If you work from home, it may be helpful to put this box at the doorway of a room you want to keep work-free like your bedroom or sunporch

2. Print your reminder prompt. If you're using this for a gathering of guests, prepare how you want to introduce this invitation. This should be words that resonate most with you, but could sound like:

   1. Invitation to check all distractions at the door

   2. Is there anything that's keeping you from being present right now that you want to put to rest for a bit? Write it down and drop it in the box

3. When you walk through the door, take a moment to check in with yourself and see if there is something you want to check. Write it down and put it in the box. Exhale.

4. When you leave, you have the choice of picking your checked distractions back up -- or let them go for good

5. As your box gradually fills, take a moment to take inventory of the kinds of distractions you most frequently carry? What themes emerge?

6. When the box is full -- burn it or release it in a body of water

Note: This isn't about saying "you can only come if you're feeling happy and perfectly present". This isn't about "good vibes only". This is an invitation to pause and let go of whatever may be making it harder to connect with the people we love.

Substitutions

1. Add take-withs As you invite people to check things at the door, is there also an invitation to pick up something you want to bring into the space? This could look like:

   1. Writing down what you want to bring into the space on a piece of paper to keep in your pocket or use as a conversation starter with others

   2. For larger gatherings, you could have 3 bowls of candy labeled: presence, humor, generosity, etc. and ask people to pick what they want to bring into the room