Ode to A Spoon

Written by Deirdre Maigread McEachern


"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." --Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel (1907-1990)

I have to admit it, I love spoons. I love their round shape. I love their cheerful shine. I love how perfectly they fit into your mouth when you eat something smooth like ice cream or pudding or even when you eat something tummy warming like hot soup.

I love spoons because they are functional as well as beautiful. Eating breakfast cereal just wouldn't berepparttar same experience without them. I enjoy using them very much and always opt for a small, round, silvery spoon anytime it makes sense.

One day, my husband came upon me silently admiring a beautiful sugar spoon from our new 'fancy' silverware collection. I was thrilled with howrepparttar 138956 bottom of it was artfully shaped like a sea shell. He thought I was nuts.

I realized I feel this way about lots of object in my world. I admire platters, vases, paintings, rugs, blankets, curtains, you name it. Am I materialistic? I suppose on a certain level I am. Here's my philosophy on stuff: I take great pleasure in appreciatingrepparttar 138957 personal possessions that grace my life.

I have profound gratitude forrepparttar 138958 convenient services my belongings regularly provide me. I even thank them occasionally (when no one is around). I really do appreciate all they do for me and recognize that I could just as easily not haverepparttar 138959 privilege of their presence in my life.

Along those lines, I make efforts to use them. I no longer horde my favorite things in a closet only taking them out once or twice a year, living in fear of their potential demise. These are beautiful objects! Who am I to hide their splendor from view? They deserve every opportunity to be appreciated.

Humble Riches

Written by Deirdre Maigread McEachern


"We come equipped with everything we need to experience a powerful life full of joy, incredible passion, and profound peace. The difficult part is giving ourselves permission to live it." – Deborah Rosado Shaw

Today is a great day to practice slowing down and re-connecting with what you enjoy most in life -- spending time appreciating nature, barbequing with old friends, or expressing yourself through a creative hobby such as painting or gardening. These are what I callrepparttar "humble riches" of life. They don't necessarily cost a lot of money but their "bang for your buck" in terms of your quality of life is huge.

Often when we think of taking steps to improve our quality of life we think about big steps --quitting a job, getting physically fit or moving house. Today I would like to introduce you to another approach. I call it Momentary Contentment. This means not necessarily waiting for one of those perfect times when everything feels completely in alignment and you wouldn't change a thing, but rather, it is recognizing when you feel mostly content. You may have a few worries about your life but nothing so pressing that it stops you from enjoyingrepparttar 138955 humble riches that are available to you here and now.

Recognizing any moments of contentment, be they Momentary or perfect, pulls you back in touch with what is good about your day and your life. It lifts your spirits and naturally shifts your mental state from your anxieties, worries, and concerns to possibilities, appreciation, and gratitude.

Recently I was traveling on a morning commuter bus to Boston. As I was riding along I was worrying about allrepparttar 138956 to-do's ahead of me that day. Just then something caught my eye and I looked outrepparttar 138957 window next to me. What a sight! Beautiful wispy clouds were strewn acrossrepparttar 138958 blue summer sky. The silver glint of a jet was flying across and leaving behind two streams of ethereal white vapor. The tops ofrepparttar 138959 nearby trees were bursting with full, summery green leaves. The vibrant mix of colors looked like a painting.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use