How pretty dishes make you feel happy & authentic
Living an authentic life isn't always about taking grand steps. Sure, sometimes you need big action to show your Soul that it's safe to come out and play. Like ending a relationship that you're not truly happy with. Or moving to an area that just FEELS right for you. But sometimes, living an authentic life means taking small, simple steps.
Like not watching certain TV shows or movies that you find upsetting. Or buying dishes that you truly love and bring you joy...like these that I bought for my family about a year ago.
I LOVE these plates and bowls. They're casual, irregular, and inexpensive. They're also bright and cheery and turquoise (one of my favorite colors). As soon as I saw them in the store, I wanted them. But there were only a few plates and bowls available. If I bought them, that meant I couldn't completely replace my other set of dishes (which I still liked, thankfully), but instead would have a mix-matched set. I remember standing in the aisle of the store, unsure of what to do. Shouldn't I buy a complete set of dishes so that everything matched? And shouldn't I want a high-quality set? But I kept coming back to the fact that I really, truly LOVED these plates and bowls. When I was honest with myself, it didn't matter to me that they didn't match my existing set or that I would end up with two different sets of everyday dishes. So I wasn't able to buy and enjoy these beautiful-to-me plates and bowls until I released the expectation that I own a fancy, high-quality, matching set of dishes. Until I let go of those limiting beliefs I didn't have to think. It might sound tedious or just plain silly, but these small details matter. They remind you that YOU and your opinions are important. That you don't have to follow arbitrary social rules or customs if they don't suit you. And when you follow your authentic voice, you feel uplifted and happy. Every time I use these plates and bowls, I smile, admire them, and feel grateful that I brought them into my life. Because they represent one more way that I'm following my authentic voice and embracing my honest, true desires. As the great poet Rumi said: "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." So I encourage you to consider a way that you can bring something into your life that YOU absolutely LOVE. Remember it doesn't have to be huge or expensive (or cost anything at all!). All that matters is that YOU authentically love it. Give it a try!
