Living in the Small…Designing the Big
It is how we live in the Small that forms our relationship with the design of the Big.
The Small is the place of longing. It is the place that has no lift-off.
It is a resting place. A pause. For some, it becomes the place.
When occupants in the Small decide that lift- off is okay, they start to design runways to the Big.
The Big holds your dreams and it is there when your actions catch up with your intentions.
The Big is the next step.
Where do you live?
Sometimes, I zest an orange for a cranberry bread and then put it in the refrigerator. I always think I am going to remember, but I forget, and then it looks as if it cannot be revived until…I cut into it. There, beneath that tough skin is a juicy, soft interior.
I am thinking of the times I have had to grow a thick skin on the outside while always knowing that my softness and yielding is my real strength.
My willingness to bend and flow far surpasses the hard shell on the outside. Because that’s what gets you to love and your heart.
The strength is in the yield. Yield to strength. Yield to good. Yield to kind.
Embrace the bend. Go.
About a week ago, I opened up my sliding glass door to pay attention to my plants and I felt something; something familiar that had been elusive for a long time. What was it? To my delight, I realized that it was a cool breeze. Yes, having come through the second hottest summer on record in Tucson, the breeze opened up my world.
Oh, how that filled me so. It was a gentle surprise that whispered hope and impacted the promise of change.
“Oh World, I cannot hold Thee close enough!”
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s words resonated through me.
And all I could say was Thank You.
With Labor Day around the corner, I can feel that I will have 3 days instead of 2, this weekend. I used to love the national holidays when they fell on a Monday or Friday. I’d pack up the car, get myself to a campground or beach and lay like broccoli and veg. Right now, not so much.
RV’s have become so inclusive of home amenities that sure enough, I land in the lap of campers with TV’s, radios, and microwaves. There goes the peace and quiet. AND getting there. Ugh. The traffic on the freeway or the congestion of airports does nothing to calm the soul.
So, I stay home and rearrange the DNA of my space. Yes, I believe that our spaces have a DNA that we give them when we birth ourselves into them. Our homes take on hereditary behaviors. Clutter breeds in the night. That molecular model remains until we change it.
Deciding to mix it up by creating an office in the guest room, getting rid of the treadmill, bringing in the free weights (requires less space and gives more room to stretch), letting go of the well loved couch and buying new dishes (chipped ones tell you that parts of you have broken off and you cannot endure), all of that brings forward trust. You know who you are today and rearranging the space to hold your present self creates an authentic imprint.
Plus, you won’t be sipping your coffee and looking at neglected piles of your creativity past. Creativity new. That’s what breathes new life into a space. And, in turn, your psyche.
So, rock it! Turn on the tunes, dance your way through it. Dig out the Jimi Hendrix and rise anew. And never look back.
When there is less of you, there is more of you. Less pounds? You have created openings for expression you did not have before. Less possessions? You have created more room in your space to fill with things you love or someone you love. Less social commitments? You have created room for more contemplation and alone time. This opens the door to what you really want.
Do you know what you really want? Get clarity by clearing whatever is in the way of bringing it forward. Lay down your burden and pick up your intention. Let the empty spaces speak. Let the gap live. Wait. Watch. See what moves in. Then, reformulate.
Working with Less creates the opportunity for More. They are connected. It’s true.
A Home For Your Muse 