“What if we spent all of our time focused on what we love about ourselves instead of all the things we don’t?”
I saw this quote the other day and a bit of thankfulness broke through the bitter shell that’s been forming around my heart. You see, I’ve found myself struggling these past few months with not being satisfied, wanting more, wanting change. I’ve felt “not enough.”
I LOVE home décor and decorating. How could I not, considering the business that I’m in? I’m surrounded by, and I create, beautiful things all day at The Findery, but my “every day” doesn’t always match the storefront. People see the store and expect that my home is all of these things combined. I do have a beautiful home, and while I am blessed beyond my needs, my life doesn’t look like a store or a picture from a magazine. Sometimes it’s tempting to feel a little plain in comparison.
When it comes to our homes and our lives, it’s all about balancing needs and wants. It’s okay to strive to be more and want more, but I also believe we have to keep ourselves in check. Of course, I enjoy Pinterest, Instagram, HGTV, DIY Network, home and garden magazines BUT I don’t want them to overwhelm me.
Lately, the constant “I want, I want, I want” has stolen the thankfulness and contentment from my heart. I want these sources to inspire me, to push me, to help my creative mind flow, but I also want to find contentment with what I have.
So I have to re-center. I have to find a way to focus on what I am thankful for instead of concentrating on what I don’t have. Each of us will go through this process in our own way, but for me, I re-focus by waking up in the morning, turning on my Christian radio station, making my cup of coffee, and just sitting in God’s grace as it covers me. Then I can see with new eyes that even though there are goals I want to accomplish, and changes I want to make, I love my home and who I am.
Just for good measure, consider this reality check: Don’t let yourself get caught up in thinking that anyone can afford an entire home renovation! Most people can’t spend $20,000 - $30,000 on a kitchen remodel, thousands of dollars to knock down a wall for an open concept, remodel a bathroom, change flooring, change the exterior of their home or buy all new furniture for their house. Even a new rug can be costly. Let’s be REAL here!
If you want change, you can have change, it just might have to be done in stages, little-by-little. The advice I give myself is the advice I will give to you: Have a budget and set aside that amount each month to make those changes slowly. This process will also help your house stay updated. You don’t have to put away a lot of money at once, but save a little at a time. Make a list of where you want to start and go from there.
When you work on projects one step at a time, you can make those changes you desire without letting them control your or your wallet. There are so many small adjustments that will effect the entire look and feel of a room that don’t involve unloading your entire life’s savings! We’ll get into that more in the coming weeks, but for now— Re-center and rest in thankfulness, drowning out the lie that you aren’t enough—because you are.