One of the stories I tell a lot as a reflection of when I first went self-employed over a decade ago was the realisation that the universe gives you what you need. I wasn’t massively concerned about where my next pay cheque but conscious that at some point I may need to cut back. Back then my indulgences were moisturisers, fragrances and candles.
One day I was at the home of one of my closest friends. She had acquired a bunch of stuff as described above as gifts but was also having a clear out. She’s not one one for fragrances nor moisturisers and due to the introduction of new pets in the house, candles were also barely in use. Voila – I was offered said items and more…
It can come across a bit ‘fluffy’ but there is something to be said about the universe giving you what you need, when you need it. Emphasis here on the word need, not want. In a world where we’re conditioned to always want more, we barely stop to think about what we do have and whether or not more is serving us.
I share this at a time where I recognise I’ve probably acquired wants and needs being realised simply by pausing. Here are a few examples:
Fresh flowers – I’m going through a phase of appreciating a bunch of fresh flowers being in certain rooms in the house, particularly while we’re in nesting season. I’d bought a bunch just before Christmas but resisted the urge to by another bunch after Christmas. An aunt staying with us for the holidays openly said that she’d been gifted a bunch (in the photo) that she was passing on to me.
Credit from loyalty programs – Thing like airmiles and supermarket loyalty cards – do you stop to spend any of them as a currency in themselves? There’s always a reason to have some good wine handy at home and on this occasion I decided not to spend hours picking wines out, and opted for a mixed case of wine that arrived the next day.
Gift cards – Funnily, as I had the idea for this post, I saw a tweet about how purchasing gift vouchers and cards in this day and age is essentially like giving the said vendor free money as a high percentage are never used nor claimed. I’m sure I’ve let some go to waste in the past. Have you? Note to self – must remember to use the card I received as a prize for a coffee chain in the next month!
Unexpected Thank you gifts – I was recently invited to participate in a panel discussion about career resilience. I deem the organiser to be a friend and understood that it wasn’t a paid gig. They’d sat down and conducted an audit after the project that they were working on had finished – after their own expenses and a bit of a treat to themselves, they reached out and said that they’d like to offer a thank you gift. There was no need for them to do so and accepting it was actually a lovely feeling. Another gift card to spend but one that will be invested wisely.
I invite you to stop for a moment and conduct a similar exercise. What has come your way recently? What is ‘enough’?
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