A Year Of Appreciating What You Have
How to embrace enough
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
— Melody Beattie
As I prepared to make myself a cup of tea this morning, I felt a surge of joy in my heart. I had an abundance of beautiful choices.
There were bags and tins of loose tea, and a lovely wooden chest my friend gifted me was brimming with a selection of flavors. A feeling of gratitude swept over my whole being as I set my teakettle to boil.
It brought to mind so many things I love and appreciate every day in our home. All the fun mugs that keep me company by the laptop as I write and the floral creamer my grandma gave me I use each morning for my coffee.
What if I could embrace the feeling of enough? This year I feel inspired to fall in love with everything in our home.
I am on a mission to use more of what we already have, shop less, and feel more abundant in the process this year. It is a fun journey to more of what I love in life.
I want to share three ways to love what you have, buy less, and appreciate your home more.
Appreciation Day
You can plan on setting aside a day or an hour and do a quick sweep through each room of your home.
Here are some questions you can ask:
What can you use more regularly or display to bring a smile to your face?
Are there be a few things you can give away to refresh the room?
Are there multiples of things you can use up or give to charity?
I look forward to doing this in our home this weekend. It always makes our house feel new, colorful, and expansive. It is an easy, joyful, and fun process.
How can you set up an appreciation day?
Free Shopping
When I went to the library, I felt like I went shopping without spending any money. I picked up cookbooks, graphic novels, DVDs, and video games all on the same trip.
Our local library even has a library of things you can borrow. They include musical instruments, unusual baking pans, large popcorn poppers for a party, and so much more.
We checked out a raclette grill and had a lovely meal grilling veggies and melting cheese. Afterward, we cleaned and returned it within seven days.
How can you use local resources like the library?
Wish Lists
One of my favorite pastimes is making wish lists. I like to keep one or two online and one on paper. Pinterest is a great way to organize things that interest you before buying them.
Do not be afraid to put anything on your wish list. You never know how it may come to you in the future. One time I cut out a photo of a fancy lip gloss, and a few days later, my neighbor gave me a nice one as a gift.
I feel like a wish list allows your desires to come true because you allow yourself to dream. The best part is, it does not cost anything.
How can you set up wish lists?
Do you have a story of appreciating your home? Please share it in the comments. I appreciate you!
Today I want to share a story by my dear friend Katie Michaelson. She shares how she sets aside time to do things that are nurturing each day. I am very inspired by how she loves what she has in her home. Thank you, Katie, for inspiring us every day.
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