fairdare
  • blog
  • Fairdare
  • ethical brands
  • zero-waste
  • zero-waste meals
  • about

we are enough

11/13/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture
We've been going to yoga lately, and the littlest things will bring me to the edge of tears. When we are nearing the end of our practice, our teacher often says that we may want to say "thank you". A thank you that I realize I almost never say...to my own capable body. When we take the stance called five star, we stretch our hands up wide + spread our legs...and our teacher says, "Take up all the space you need. You belong here. You are enough." My usual tendency is to try to take up as little space as possible when I am in a group. I want to be small, to attract no attention, to get in no one's way. 

I think that "stuff" can be a way that we try to pile identity onto our small selves in order to matter...even if only to ourselves. We can use "stuff" like stickers or hashtags to label ourselves. Wear a leather jacket...put on the laid-back badass sticker. Pile up the intellectual books that I mean to read...put on the smart sticker. Cover the walls with concert posters, collect 1000 vintage records, + fill the closet with band tees...put on the cool, music lover sticker. 

Am I still a badass if I show up to the protest without the leather jacket? Am I still thoughtful + curious if I simply check out a couple books at a time from the library (+ read them)? Am I still a music lover if my music simply streams through my headphones? These questions just sound silly...of course.

But I also know that we can get hung up somewhere between the last two paragraphs. And by all means, if the leather jacket or the record collection makes you happy... and there is enough room for it...and caring for it is a joy...keep it (or the best parts of it). If it has become a burden or a source of frustration...you are enough. Our things don't make us who we are. Two band t-shirts that get rotated every Saturday could be just right. A collection of the 12 books that really made an impact on how we think might be treasured rather than buried.

At some point we just might realize that that there isn't a "thing" that adds to who we are.

I am enough. You are enough. We get to take up all the space...not our stuff.

Love,
​Jane
2 Comments
Priscilla Bettis link
11/13/2017 06:45:31 am

Very soothing words, thanks. Just last night I went through some of my books and wondered why I had hung onto some of them. A classic I trudged through sat next to a classic I adored. Why was I hanging onto the yukky one? Was I trying to show off to visitors that I had read the thing? I dunno. It's in the recycle bin now!

Reply
Jane link
11/13/2017 09:19:19 am

Exactly! :)

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
    Picture
    Picture


    categories

    All
    Fair Brands
    Fairdare
    Garden
    Made
    Reads
    Simple Budget
    Simple Holidays
    Simple Home
    Simple Wardrobe
    Simply Said
    Sustainable Self
    Wanderings
    Yum
    Zero Waste

    archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    all images by jane unless otherwise noted. copyright 2023.
    subscribe via email

    RSS Feed

    Follow