Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012

Not sure if I mentioned before how I have a jar of fortune cookie sayings that have impacted me.  I keep this jar on my desk where I frequently look at the sayings contained within.  A matching jar sits across my office.  In that jar are the fortunes that I’ve blogged about.  Reading through my fortunes today, I figured it was time to add another to the jar of ones blogged about. 

This fortune was simple.   It said: You find beauty in ordinary things.  Do not lose this ability.  When I originally got the fortune, I was struck with wondering how many folks are capable of this or…amongst those who are capable, how many take the time to do so. 

We live in a hustle-bustle world where the name of the game, for many, is to keep up with the Jones.  Everywhere one looks, we’re inundated with images that try to pressure us into buying more, expanding, being unsatisfied with the things we have that work perfectly well, instead being told they’re expendable and we’d be happier if only we had something bigger/better.

I come from a long line of individuals who took the time to see beauty in simple things.  By doing so, they, myself included, were able to rejuvenate old forgotten items that others had thrown away or wanted to sell for a discounted price. 

I’m currently at a point in my life where I’m massively de-cluttering.  Shedding tons of items acquired over my lifetime.  Some might think this would make me sad.  It doesn’t.  Instead, it makes it easier for me to focus on the beauty contained in the simpler things life offers.  How less is more.  How applying a little glue, elbow grease or whatever to make something that’s old new again brings me immense pleasure.  But most of all, I’m rediscovering the sheer joy of being able to see the majority of tabletop surfaces, empty wall space and large expanses of floor uncluttered by a lifetime of “stuff.”  Guess you could say I’m in a massive spring-cleaning mode where my aim is to focus on the beauty contained in ordinary things.