I was looking for a notepad the other day. Not just any notepad. The nice one. You know the one I’m talking about – the one we are saving for our better selves.
The pretty notebook with the beautiful cover that you’ve been saving because you don’t want to “waste” it on grocery lists or reminders to call the dentist.
Instead, you’ve been waiting for something important enough to write in it.
I smiled because I’ve done the very same thing.
In fact, I think most of us have.
We save the good towels.
The fancy candles.
The pretty dishes.
The expensive lotion.
The special tea.
The new outfit.
The stationery that’s too nice to write a quick note on.
Some of us even save our favorite recipes because we’re waiting for the “right occasion.”
Here’s the funny part.
The occasion never seems to arrive.
Instead, years go by.
The candle loses its scent.
The lotion expires.
The clothes go out of style.
The towels stay folded in the closet while we keep reaching for the old, faded ones.
Why do we do that?
I think it’s because we’re waiting for a better version of ourselves.
We’ll use the pretty notebook when we’re more organized.
We’ll light the candle when the house is cleaner.
We’ll wear the nice outfit when we lose ten pounds.
We’ll use the good dishes when company comes.
Somewhere along the way, we decided ordinary Tuesdays weren’t special enough.
But what if they are?
What if the person you’ve been waiting for is already here?
The woman making dinner every night.
The one paying bills.
Walking the dog.
Taking care of family.
Trying to keep up with laundry.
Doing her best.
She’s the one who bought those nice things in the first place.
Why shouldn’t she enjoy them?
This reminds me of something I see all the time when people are decluttering.
They’ll pick up a beautiful serving bowl they’ve never used.
“It’s too nice,” they’ll tell me.
I usually ask, “Too nice for whom?”
If it isn’t too nice for you, then who exactly are you saving it for?
Sometimes the answer is silence.
Sometimes it’s, “I don’t know.”
That’s when we realize we’ve been waiting for permission we never needed.
The truth is, our homes should support our lives today, not someday.
We don’t have to earn the right to use the things we love.
We already did that when we bought them.
Now, I’m not suggesting you burn every candle tonight and use the fine china for peanut butter sandwiches.
Although, if that’s what makes you happy, who am I to argue?
I’m simply saying life doesn’t have to be extraordinary before we allow ourselves a few ordinary pleasures.
Drink your coffee from your favorite mug.
Use the pretty notebook.
Put out the nice hand towels.
Light the candle while you’re folding laundry.
Wear the necklace to the grocery store.
Life isn’t just birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries.
Life is Tuesday morning.
It’s Wednesday afternoon.
It’s Thursday night when you’re wondering what to make for dinner.
Those ordinary moments make up most of our lives.
Why are we saving the good stuff for the smallest part of it?
I’ve learned something over the years.
There will always be another reason to wait.
The house isn’t clean enough.
I’m too busy.
Maybe next month.
After the holidays.
When things settle down.
But life has a funny way of not settling down.
It simply changes chapters.
One day we look around and realize we spent years protecting things instead of enjoying them.
I don’t want that for you.
And I don’t want it for me.
So here’s a little challenge for this week.
Choose one thing you’ve been saving.
Just one.
Maybe it’s the pretty mug.
Maybe it’s the soft blanket.
Maybe it’s the good lotion tucked away in the bathroom cabinet.
Maybe it’s that notebook you’ve been waiting to fill with something “important.”
Use it.
Today.
Because here’s what I know.
You don’t become worthy of the good things after your house is perfect, your schedule is under control, or your life finally settles down.
You are already worthy.
The “better self” you’ve been waiting for has been here all along.
She just needed someone to remind her.
Live with intention,
Coach Linda 🐝
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