The Treasure of Necessity

What do you consider necessary?

The Treasure of Birchbox

I have written many times about the great joy I get each month when my Birchbox comes in the mail. Sometimes it’s an incredible happiness that drives me to want to try everything all at once (a special at-home spa day) and sometimes it’s nice just to get a box in the mail with an item or two I may think about.

But the best part is the anticipation. No doubt. Will I get a wonderful new shade of polish that I’ve been dreaming about? Is that a new facial cleanser to help me cope with this cold weather skin? And oh the fragrance of that new body lotion – yum.

It sounds silly, but this little treat for myself really sets a mood for the day, and some days after sometimes. Simplifying my life has made me cherish this little box of goodies even more and to full share in the experience of what it has to offer.

What simple treasures in your life make you smile? 

The Treasure of Saying No

Just as valuable as saying “Yes” is saying “No”. Regretting the “Y” word is so much worse than saying “No” since everyone knows you mean no and instead you said yes so when you say yes again they are wondering if you really mean no.

Know what I mean?

Be honest with yourself and those around you and say “No” when you mean “No”. “No I can’t be on a tenth committee at school.” “No, I can’t make 10 dozen cupcakes for the bake sale fundraiser.” “No I can’t do Children’s Time during the service.” (That last one is mine.)

I believe the worse curse phrase in the world is “I can’t” but when it comes to your sanity and your happiness, it’s not a curse but a blessing. Example: I was asked to do Children’s Time during our church service. This is about 5 minutes of sharing a lesson with about 4 wee ones who have the attention span of 10 seconds. Since I am not an expert at teaching such little ones stories about the Bible (it’s hard since I have a different interpretation than most) and I don’t know how to make some of these lessons relevant for such little kids, I opted out when asked. A simple, “No I don’t think so” was good enough and a “sorry” to follow let the person know that it wasn’t a good idea for them or I to do this task.

Yes there was some disappointment, but that was more easily dismissed than if I would have said “Yes”, regretted each letter 10-fold and hated those 5 minutes.

We are taught to be martyrs and say “Yes” even when it is detrimental to ourselves and those we love. There’s a fine line between feeling out of a comfort zone and feeling put upon.

We all have our reasons to say no once in a while, and it’s OK. It makes saying yes so much more fulfilling.

The Treasure of Saying Yes

Picture this: My car just breathed its last exhausted breath and I am anguished and confused. First course of action, get home and get calm before I decide whether to pay the cash to get it fixed or give it a good burial. How?

I call my pal Renee and ask her to come get me since I am only a couple blocks from her house, but about 4 miles from home. Sure I could walk it, but in the Florida heat and work clothes I would be miserable and even more distraught. She says, “Yes, of course.”

The treasure of saying “Yes” is incredibly powerful for the one saying it and the one requesting the affirmation. Sometimes we hesitate in saying yes since it will disrupt our schedule or maybe take us out of our comfort zone, but sharing these three letters can make a world of difference for everyone involved (and those on the outskirts as well).

The Education Committee chairperson at our church asked me to be part of the rotation teaching Junior Church on Sundays. My first thought was, “No way. I don’t really do kid things and I wouldn’t know what to teach them.” After a moment of worry, “yes” came out of my mouth.

It was a happy yes even though I would miss the sermon (which is my favorite part of the service) and I would be in an uncomfortable situation (with kids who are too smart for their own good and they can smell fear), but I figured it was an adventure.

Saying yes when you really want to say no isn’t actually saying “yes” at all. The treasure lies in both parties being happy with the outcome and sharing in something that is personal and lasting.

I am given incredible opportunities to say yes in this community. Yes, I will make dinners and deliver them on Tuesdays to shut ins, Yes, I will take my Sunday afternoon to visit folks in the hospital, Yes, I will take the puppies out on the coldest morning of the year so my sweetie can sleep in, Yes, I will choose to help out with a ride, a talk, a listening ear.

I also receive lots of yeses. Yes, I will do the dishes so you can keep reading on this cold winter night. Yes, I will teach you to quilt, applique, crochet, make beef and noodles. Yes, I will take a walk with you and share in some easy conversation. Yes, we are so happy you are here.

I admit selfishly this is wonderful for me. I am not only saying yes to a request, but to giving of myself to others. And on that note, Yes I will have another.

The Treasure of Being Happy

The Treasure of a Clean House

I call it The Twelve Days of Cleaning, it’s the time after the holiday when everything gets put away and the house can be cleaned and ready for the new year.

I started this tradition 3 years ago with a simple cleaning which progressed to a massive cleaning last year to sell my house. This year, it is a cleaning adventure that brightens my year and gives me something to do why the world is turning to one huge Sno Cone.

The Twelve Days usually starts with the taking down of the Christmas tree and decorations on January 1. The next couple weeks include things like:

-       Cleaning the oven after all the baking that went on over the past few months

-       Cleaning the fridge after all the food cooked, given and stored has possibly sparked new life and new colors

-       Super dusting from ceiling to baseboards to get rid (or at least trying to get rid of) those sparkles that attach to everything as soon as you open the Christmas card and refuse to quit shining

-       Cleaning of the closets to get rid of those items you really don’t need to make way for all the stuff you got for Christmas or will get with your plethora of gift cards

-       Organizing of the craft room which in my case is an all day job to make way for all the inspirations already seething to get out and be created

It’s a lot to do, but I love the instant gratification of a task completed and something so physical to show for it. Plus, there’s nothing like coming home to a clean house to give anyone reason to cheer. 

The Treasure of New Resolutions

I know a lot of people don’t like to talk about New Year’s Resolutions since after about 2 weeks the resolutions go by the waist-side and disappointment takes their place.

I love new beginnings, so resolutions are all right by me. I used to be the one who put everything in full gear for a couple weeks and then returned to old habits because I either:

A)   wanted to do too many things at once

B)   wanted to have changes happen too quickly OR

C)   wanted to change for the wrong reasons

I made the biggest change of this habit 2 years ago when I once and for all set the goal to lose weight and lost 40 pounds thanks to Weight Watchers and my own nerve to set realistic goals.

This year, I spent a couple weeks thinking about resolutions and goals, what I wanted to change and why, what would I need to accomplish these goals, what support should I recruit.

I broke my resolutions up into daily changes, weekly changes, monthly changes, seasonal changes and a yearly change.

Daily: Get back on track after the holiday with eating well and working out daily. Ten-Day Update: No problem – holiday weight is gone and I feel so much better.

Weekly: Learn something new in crafting each week – a stitch, a technique, even a term.

Ten-Day Update: The first week I learned how to do a cable stitch in knitting and this week I had my first applique lesson.

Monthly: Read 3 books a month – one fiction, one nonfiction, and a classic. So far I picked out for January The Book Thief, Why Christianity Must Change or Die and The Frontiersmen.

Ten-Day Update: I started all of them and see this being a done deal by the 31^st.

Seasonally: Now that I actually live in a climate that has seasons this is a real treat –

Winter/Spring (Jan-Apr): Taking online courses in graphic design and social media to build my resume and reputation.

Spring/Summer (May- Aug): Gardening and canning

Fall/Winter (Sept – Dec): Getting ready for the holiday; making things, preparing the house, setting everything into gear for Christmas.

Ten-Day Update: I’ve done my first 4 Photoshop Lessons, plus 2 lessons all about color and a lesson on the differences in traditional marketing versus social media marketing.

Yearly: Bible Study. I’m not reading the Bible per se like a book since that is not how it was put together. I am reading books and learning about why they were written, when and under what circumstances, what were the influences, what should I be learning from the piece, and how does it relate to 2014 and my life? January’s lesson – The Gospel According to Mark – the oldest Gospel.

Ten-Day Update: Have the background on when and under what circumstances Mark was written, plus a few of the other influences of the time. Next, reading the text and analyzing the story.

What have you put on your list this year and how is it going?