I'm finding that when I radiate what it is i need out of the world, I get it. Materially and emotionally. And its fascinating. It all goes along the ideas based in The Secret or other energy based theories that suggest if you think hard enough on something, it will happen.
Materially speaking, my flip flops and my yoga mat are completely worn out. I've been wanting to replace them, since they are items i use on a regular basis.
I find a yoga mat and flip flops gross things to buy second hand because of the sweat factor, yet I keep thinking about how much I "need" these items, maybe even a little obsessively. And you know what happens? My friend Kenny (who was tired of seeing me reattach my flip to the flop) bought me a nice new pair of flip flops and Stacey just gave me an awesome yoga mat that she'd bought a while back and not liked. I did not even ask them for these items, they just offered them to me. So I'm all set! Thank you Kenny and Stacey!
More importantly though, I've learned something from the flip flop and yoga mat offerings on an emotional level which is this:
I've still been carrying a great deal of anger from my breakup. But after thinking of all this, I had a moment when I thought...I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to carry this weight. So I decided not to...to just let it go. I even went to my ex-boyfriend's rock show and invited him to come to my book release party last weekend. And he came. And it felt good to support him and be supported by him regardless of all that has happened. People thought I was crazy to want him at my party and to go to his show, but I'm learning that in order to feel good in the world and settled in my skin, I need to tell the world what it is I need. And I need to be okay. And not angry. And I need to approach that need with confidence and a heck of a lot of love. Which is now my master plan.
I encourage all of you to look at what you need emotionally...what hurts you...what causes you grief...and see if there's an alternate way of approaching those feelings. There just might be a way to free your heart and get what it is you really need.
-Courtney
Thank YOU. I love this post. I too, am constantly astonished by how completely my needs (material, emotional, etc.) are met when I put them out there.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sorry, because I was one of the "haters" who thought you were crazy to have Mike come to your book release party. I was wrong. And am glad you followed your heart and not my misguided advice. :) ~Stacey
You know. Some of the posts here are really great, but lately, the more I read this blog, the more arrogant it seems to be. You have challenged yourselves not to buy anything new in 2010 and you gush about buying things second hand, and prosthelytize to the rest of us that we should do the same. While I am thrilled that you two have discovered a brave new world of thrift shops and yard sales, this is a way of life for hundreds of thousands of families across this country and nothing you are doing is remotely novel. It is only novel to you because up until this year you have been participating in good old fashioned American consumerism - something we are all brought up to believe in. I applaud the increased awareness about the pitfalls of capitalism that must have inspired this little project - but the hallmark wisdom lecturing that goes on in this blog is worse than saccharin; it's arrogant and makes you look silly. ESPECIALLY when there are so many posts on here where you end up getting what you need materially BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE BUY IT FOR YOU. So you've really just come up with a way to mooch off other people and instead of calling it just that, you rationalize this contradictory little fact by saying it's the result of "secret energy" giving you what you need. The "secret energy" is your friends' time and money - get a clue.
ReplyDeleteAnother one of my favorites is buying a new dress for a wedding, and justifying it by saying that you agreed to be in the wedding long before the two of you conceived of this project. It must be really nice to have the money to just toss off playing poor when vanity calls. Tough titty that you decided to do the wedding before this project - buy a second hand dress OR (even MORE interesting and creative) MAKE ONE YOURSELF. THAT would have been cool - and interesting to read about. But. Nope. Buying used couches and furniture is so cute - but buying a second hand dress for a wedding is gross and making one is hard.
There's nothing wrong with a blog that gives you a place to wonder out loud about where life is going, and to vent about nasty breakups, and the difficulties of life. Those things bring us closer together, because we know we are not the only ones going through these questions. But seriously, posts like this and several others, you two just come across like two spoiled little white girls who are staying out of the mall for a year - and lecturing us for crossing your personal picket line.
Wow, give me a moment to digest all the rage in the last comment...moment's up!...so, I just wanted to say GOOD FOR YOU for choosing forgiveness over anger. Forgiveness is a road that takes courage. :)
ReplyDelete