I have this gorgeous set of dishes. I’ve had them for years and love them as much now as I did over a decade ago. The color combination is perfect and it is actually my wedding china. I use them exactly two times a year – Thanksgiving and Christmas. This isn’t the first time I’ve had something that I didn’t use.
When I moved to my very first apartment, my step-mother took me shopping for basic kitchen stuff. There was a hand towel with the cutest design on it. I got that plus a few others and it took me years (seriously!) to use my favorite. I didn’t want to mess it up, because if I did eventually I’d have to throw it out and wouldn’t have it any more.
Silly reasoning, but I bet you might be doing this too. Do you have something that you love but stays on a shelf or in a drawer so it’s protected? Something sitting in a box that you can’t bear to use? I’m not talking about a painting that’s designed to sit and be looked at. Something that is made to be used but you don’t for fear one day you won’t have it.
Sadly I lost a friend last week to lung cancer. She found out in February so she only had 4 or 5 months of notice. She had an incredible last few months doing all kinds of things she loved and was upbeat to the very end. One thing she said really stuck with me and I thought it was perfect for this month’s task to Buy Some Happiness.
Don’t spend time doing things you don’t enjoy
or you’ll never have time to enjoy your things.
Happiness doesn’t come from having things sit on a shelf unused for fear of being used up or broken. Happiness is in using these things and creating memories. It sounds like nonsense but stop and think about it. The towel sat in a drawer for years, out of sight out of mind. It didn’t even serve its purpose of looking pretty since I only saw it in there occasionally.
I finally started using it and think about that shopping day with fond memories when I do. It was one of my few bonding days with my step-mother. Same with the china. Using it for holidays gives me a few happy memories, but if I used it more often I’d have even more of those memories. I’ve decided to break out that china for more than just special occasions and create some enjoyment on an ordinary day.
Your task this week on the Even Happier Quest is to Enjoy The Things You’ve Bought. Get out those things that you don’t use and put them to their purpose. Write a letter to a friend using that beautiful stationary you never use. It will brighter both your days. Get out the special occasion dishes on any day of the week. It will be worth it to see the shocked look on your family’s faces. Wear a dress or fancy something you don’t wear often, just because. Knock ’em dead with your pizzazz.
Spend time enjoying your things and creating happy memories. Even if you use it up or it breaks, the memories will last you a lifetime which is better than leaving it in a box out of sight.
What do you have that you never use? Get it out and tell me what you did with it.
Speak Your Mind