Hello everyone! Happy First full week of March! We hit 70 degrees on Monday, the sun has been out longer and I’ve gotten more walks in to embrace the warm weather. It has been a great start to a new month. Today’s post is a bit personal, but I hope you will stick around until the end.
Remember those shoes you always wanted as a child and when you got them, you were afraid to wear them and risk getting them dirty or ruined? Or maybe you kept holding off on using your good dishes because you were afraid you would break them? We have all been there. We sometimes long for items and never end up using them or don’t use them as much as we should. Today’s post is a little different and more personal, as I’m sharing about the importance of not waiting and using the good things in life.
This topic came to me around the holidays, we were getting the table set for Christmas dinner using the good China and linen napkins. I always enjoy a good party prep and entertaining, I thought it was such a shame that fine China and fancy items only get used so often or for special occasions. While I know it’s important to honor and celebrate the big moments in our lives with fun items to mark the occasion, why can’t we use the linens more often? Or who says we can only use good plates for holidays? No one. I realized we can permit ourselves to use the nice dishes or wear the dress we have had in the back of our closet, or even add some expensive jewelry to our everyday outfits. What’s the point of having these items if we aren’t going to enjoy them to their fullest?
When I came to this realization last year, I allowed myself to use the good things, take the opportunities and experiences and not wait or put them off and I hope after reading this maybe you will too. Over the past few months, I have been trying to use what I have or the things I don’t use as frequently and incorporate them more in my everyday life.
Here’s how I’m doing that:
Clothing: I have a lot of clothes, but I find myself reaching for the same items on days off or to wear to work. I decided to make more of an effort to change up clothes for work or outfits that I was wearing on days off or out to appreciate what I had. Instead of just wearing leggings and a hoodie on a day off (which still happens), I decided on jeans and a nice top to wear out for errands. I felt better about my appearance and better that I was wearing something I hadn’t worn in a while.
Appliances/Gadgets: I got a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas last year and used it a handful of times but took a hiatus due to a busy schedule and the fact it was stored in a place that isn’t always convenient to get it when I wanted to use it. I decided that I enjoyed using it and it made cooking and baking easier, so I would walk the extra few steps to get it out when I wanted to cook with it.
Experiences: My friends and sometimes family often talk about things we want to do or try or adventure, but they don’t end up happening due to life or commitments or forgetting about it. I’ve tried to make more of a point to actually plan the trips or outings when I am with family of friends. For example, one of my friends and I are both book-worms and enjoy supporting local businesses and reading new books. I heard about a local book sale happening and made plans with my friend to check it out. We easily could have talked about it and not acted on it, but we made it a point to find a time that worked well for both of us and go to make it happen. Rather than going around in circles talking about if we want to go someplace or do something, you are making a decision to make it happen.
That’s the lesson, make the decision and don’t be afraid to use the good things in life. What’s holding you back? Give yourself permission to take the risk or make the jump and use the good things in life instead of having them sit.
Let me know your thoughts on this. How do you feel about making the big jumps and using the finer things in life?