Earlier this month, as I sat in a room full of other successful women whom I admire, I was amazed to hear the common theme that came up in our conversation…
While we each were working hard to care for so many other people and things in our lives—parents, children, spouses, faith communities, school programs, volunteer organizations, and of course our businesses—the thing that was not on the list, or maybe was near the very bottom— was caring for and nurturing ourselves.
One of the women asked the follwing question:
“It is so easy to treat ourselves—do things that we would enjoy—but we still don’t do it. Why?”
Hmmmm…
Things like enjoyment, pleasure, beauty, gladness, contentment, satisfaction, & joy are the earmarks of a life well-lived, but many of these women admitted to waiting for permission, or waiting for it to be “the right time” before they felt they could pursue these amazing life-giving things.
Our houses show this hesitation to put ourselves first right away when we walk through the door.
It is obvious that we put our own nourishment and nurturing on the back burner when the rooms we live in every day don’t do anything to bring us pleasure or joy.
What are we waiting for?
The picture above is of an office I redesigned for a favorite client a few years ago—-right after she claimed space for herself in her house, recognizing that she needed color, light, beauty—a room of her own to add to her daily enJOYment.
Here is what that same room looked like before…
I love seeing this bright, cheerful transformation.
Now, go and claim your joy!—- TODAY! 🙂
