(Linking up with Emily P. Freeman for a quarterly reflection on what I’ve learned this Spring.)
|ONE| Trying something is not a waste of time
I’m tempted to look back on a series of projects that are no longer ongoing as a waste of time, or a failure. I did complete them, but they didn’t really go anywhere; I decided not to continue. However, the lessons from my closet often apply to life. I’m glad I tried the thing on, even though it didn’t fit- otherwise, how could I know whether or not I wanted to do it? Now I don’t have to wonder “what if” anymore.
|TWO| Things that we enjoy can change
From a young age, I loved secretarial work. It’s a bit nerdy, but I was really happy to file and stuff envelopes and generally bring order to paperwork. But this month, I’ve found myself involved in a project that entailed mail-merges and label-printing and envelope stuffing galore. And instead of bringing me joy, it’s mostly been a burden. This episode of Emily’s podcast really stuck in my mind. When she says, “just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean you have to do it forever,” she’s right!
|THREE| Discernment never stops
Technically, this should be filed as something I am always being reminded of. But this has been a season where I’ve seen friends in all walks of life and all personality types – married, single, lots of kids, no kids, extrovert, introvert, near retirement, just starting out – really having to discern some big questions. Just when you think you’re settled, something new comes up. When I was a teenager, I thought for sure that after people got married, everything settled down and all the pressing questions went away. But they don’t! They just change. So getting in the habit of discernment is a great practice.
|FOUR| Someone else’s view can improve your own
Our living space is small, and because I spend so much time in it, I mostly just see the flaws. But recently a friend came to stay and snapped the above picture. When she texted it to me, I thought it was a great photo of some minimalist bookshelf she had seen on Instagram. I didn’t even realize it was my own! She saw something I didn’t, and it made me see my own space with new, more appreciative, eyes.
|FIVE| Very often, you don’t have to just live with it
I had been living in our small space with one corner which I considered an eyesore, due to a pile of cords. For more than a year, every day, I just accepted that the ugly pile of cords had to live in that corner. Then one day, my husband made the simplest of suggestions, and my every day has been radically improved. Now I’m wondering what else I can re-think rather than just live with.
What insights have you gained this spring?
