Tuesday treasure

I've been on a treasure hunt lately, looking to find the treasures I already have, but don't use.   Our house, I'm discovering, is full of treasure, but not the stuff pirates vie for.  Rather, the stuff I'm finding are the sorts of things that I would love to find in a catalog, or a little shop.  And guess what? It's already here.  

So this is part of the cutting back, making use of what you have, preparing for tough times...but really it's more about following our family's second rule, which is "be where you are."   

Like so many other people, I get spun up about all the great things that are out there that we could see, or get, or do.  The reality of it is that there is not time or money or energy for doing everything.  That's no big revelation, I know, but regardless of what I may know, what I've been practicing is different.  I do often ooh and ahh over all the great things I could get.   Sometimes I even do get a thing I "love," and then put it away for safekeeping, for later, for the right time.

I'm treasure hunting because I am starting to realize that the right time is really now, and that I have lots of great things or experiences that I'm putting off.  No longer.   I'm seeing the world with new eyes, I'm revising my take on the daily things around me, just a little.   I'm going to post more treasure Tuesdays in the future--I'm eager to see what I'll find, and how I'll use it.

In keeping with that, I've found a treasure for today:  my notebooks.  Some have been well loved, but many of these beauties are waiting for me to decide that what I have to say is good enough for their pages.  Look at this one:   

I bought it for the tree design; the quote was an afterthought.  Pretty telling, hmm.  Even more so, I haven't used it!!   Until now.  This book is going to be filled with words--imperfect, shifting, indulgent, irrelevant--so what.  This little treasure is mine, and this time is mine too.   So I'm staking my claim.

What treasure do you already have that you're not using?

Rule #2: Be Where You Are

For a few years now, we’ve been creating a set of rules for our family to live by. I originally thought they would be good for teaching Ada simple lessons, but these rules are turning out to be great touchstones for all of us. As trite or silly as it seems, it’s nice to be able to just repeat a simple phrase to yourself when you’re a bit overwhelmed. If nothing else, the rules remind us of some basics, and it’s nice to know we, as family, all share the same “code.”
Lately, I find myself recalling our second rule, which is the rather Zen-like, “Be where you are.” Simple enough in theory, but hard to do in practice.

I recite that most to myself when I notice I’m worried about the ever-increasing “to do” list, or when I get into spiral of “It will be great when…”

And it will be great when I…
Clean the kitchen floor
Finish Esme’s quilt
Sort the last year’s photos
Lose 30 pounds
Wash the front windows
Refinish the studio stairs
ETC….

One big problem with waiting for things to be great later is that once these goals are actually done, nothing really changes. That's not to say I shouldn't set goals--it's just to say I shouldn't set my happiness on them.


So forget the “will be great.” It is great right now. And now. And now. Each moment is great, and full, and in it I have enough. I have to remind myself of that from time to time, and it helps me to focus on what is at hand. Plans are good. But noticing what I have, and what we are right now is good, too. So here’s to Rule Number 2 and focusing on the moment.