some weeks ago, I was proposed a very exciting offer. Something that some of us wouldn't have refused. At first, I was so very excited that this was happening to me. My head was fizzing with ideas & excitement. But as the weeks passed by, innocent excitement turned into (unconscious) clarity of mind. Let me explain.
if I had said yes to this project, at this point of my life, I would have had to spend the next six months (well, most probably even more) working on between 20 & 30 projects, and in the end, it would have left zero room, nada, niente, plus rien, for my own creativity, for making things for my family, for my home, for my friends, for myself, for the holidays ... it would have put all kind of projects aside for more than half a year. With I still don't know what exactly interesting for me in return.
so I said no, no thanks, not now.
this was last week.
and since then, since the moment I dared to say no, I felt like being liberated. Don't ask me why, but that's how it felt. That moment of clarity helped me thinking more about what I was doing, who I was doing it for.
and since last week, I have made many things. i have started tackling the kilometers long list of THINGS I WANT TO MAKE. And I started with my own children. I have made & sewn two large cushions for my boys (for putting in their back, in bed, for reading books). They are large, colorful & cheery. The boys LOVED them, they've been in use already & I couldn't be happier !
I have started crafting holiday themed creations. (soon to be shown)
I have worked on projects that had been put aside for no real reason.
I have at long last completed WIPs that had been waiting for me for a while ... new cushions for the sofa, for instance. I made these this morning. Planned them yesterday before going to bed, pinned them, and this morning, they were ready to be sewn. Here they are. The front is made of two gorgeous napkins I had bought to the über talented & sweet Arounna. She makes the most beautiful things, and I hope one day I'll be able to visit her shop, Bookhou, for real. The back is made of a plaid wool fabric that I bought something like 10 years ago in Paris. T'was about time I used it, right ?!!
I have started perusing my own Flickr favorites, and browsing my contacts & friends streams, in search of wonderful ideas for handmade Christmas gifts. Then I'll soon be looking for wonderful activities for the Advent Calendar. And why not, making a new one.
none of these would have been possible, if I had accepted this exciting offer. My life is very good right now, I'm happily into many projects (of my own) at the same time, spreading a lot more wouldn't have been wise or smart from me. I'm proud of my choice. Saying no gave me wings.
don't underestimate the power of no, my friends. Sometimes, it can bring you much more than saying yes.
on these wise words, I'll wish you a wonderful start of your week. Very rainy Monday over here, but I don't care, it's autumn, and autumn shall be rainy.
if I had said yes to this project, at this point of my life, I would have had to spend the next six months (well, most probably even more) working on between 20 & 30 projects, and in the end, it would have left zero room, nada, niente, plus rien, for my own creativity, for making things for my family, for my home, for my friends, for myself, for the holidays ... it would have put all kind of projects aside for more than half a year. With I still don't know what exactly interesting for me in return.
so I said no, no thanks, not now.
this was last week.
and since then, since the moment I dared to say no, I felt like being liberated. Don't ask me why, but that's how it felt. That moment of clarity helped me thinking more about what I was doing, who I was doing it for.
and since last week, I have made many things. i have started tackling the kilometers long list of THINGS I WANT TO MAKE. And I started with my own children. I have made & sewn two large cushions for my boys (for putting in their back, in bed, for reading books). They are large, colorful & cheery. The boys LOVED them, they've been in use already & I couldn't be happier !
I have started crafting holiday themed creations. (soon to be shown)
I have worked on projects that had been put aside for no real reason.
I have at long last completed WIPs that had been waiting for me for a while ... new cushions for the sofa, for instance. I made these this morning. Planned them yesterday before going to bed, pinned them, and this morning, they were ready to be sewn. Here they are. The front is made of two gorgeous napkins I had bought to the über talented & sweet Arounna. She makes the most beautiful things, and I hope one day I'll be able to visit her shop, Bookhou, for real. The back is made of a plaid wool fabric that I bought something like 10 years ago in Paris. T'was about time I used it, right ?!!
I have started perusing my own Flickr favorites, and browsing my contacts & friends streams, in search of wonderful ideas for handmade Christmas gifts. Then I'll soon be looking for wonderful activities for the Advent Calendar. And why not, making a new one.
none of these would have been possible, if I had accepted this exciting offer. My life is very good right now, I'm happily into many projects (of my own) at the same time, spreading a lot more wouldn't have been wise or smart from me. I'm proud of my choice. Saying no gave me wings.
don't underestimate the power of no, my friends. Sometimes, it can bring you much more than saying yes.
on these wise words, I'll wish you a wonderful start of your week. Very rainy Monday over here, but I don't care, it's autumn, and autumn shall be rainy.
xoxo
Yes, I understand so much, more than you'll ever know. This is what I did do for over a year and a half. And although it was very gratifying and satisfactory, in the end I had totally lost myself. I had no time for me. And more importantly I had no time for my focus to be on my friends and family. I am trying to pick up where I left off, but it is proving to be very difficult. Although back then I had no choice. There was no room for me to say no. I had to. But yes, I understand why you said no. Good for you! x
ReplyDeleteI say yes to my friend sonia
ReplyDeleteyes to her wisdom
yes to her kindness
yes to her love of the natural world
yes to her creativity
yes to her selflessness
only a few of the reasons we love you so much
ps love your cushions and i am certain arounna will as well
çok güzel elinize saglık
ReplyDeleteLovely post...I am saying no to a full feed of everyone I know on Facebook and hiding a bunch of people. Do we really need to keep up with everyones lives? Or in doing so, do we miss out on our own life and the people that matter most.
ReplyDeletewhat a powerful word and post! I'm so glad you listened to your heart!
ReplyDeleteHooray for you! Saying no is something I'm working on and really look forward to the day when I can live as I did this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI love the cushions, by the way. So clever!
Thank you for the love you showed me on my flickr and blog today. It meant a lot to me. Much love your way. xoxo
A month or so ago I said no to something - I couldn't fit it in, I wrestled with myself about it, I may have sold some jewellery if I'd said yes, I felt guilty but I would have been stressed, hassled, grumpy and had NO time for anything else. I said no. I totally understand that liberated feeling! Here's to it!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you! These choices are hard to make but give you a lot of self-consciousness. Thanks to them you know who you are and what you want to do. And the best to do are those things you love :)
ReplyDeleteI love your pillows, they are great. The wool fabric is very autumnish, both color and texture. Lovely!
BRAVO! :-)
ReplyDeletewell glad to hear that you made the right decision for you. and projects galore! do we get to see the boys' cushions??
ReplyDeleteun NON auquel on dit un grand OUI ! bravo x
ReplyDeleteje crois que finalement la vie se charge de nous enseigner la sagesse et l'essentiel, chacun à son rythme.
un grand plaisir d'entendre que tu te sens libérée, bien avec toi-même et ceux que tu aimes le plus au monde :)
j'en ai oublié les jolis coussins si cosy, mais je te l'ai déjà dit sur flickr de toute façon...
ReplyDeleteOh thank you! I needed to hear someone tell me that it's ok to say no. I am famous for overcommitting! And I, for one, am happy that you said no because your pillows are totally inspiring me still today.
ReplyDeleteYou are a wise woman.
ReplyDeletethe cushion turned out so nice - I like having the back plaid
ReplyDeletethanks for the kind words.
I am terrible at saying no - it takes a lot of bravery to know your limits.
xx
quite right. Absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteLast year, a neighbour asked if I would make some of my velvet rose brooches for her sons' school Christmas fete. I nearly said 'yes' because I don't know why, mums always seem to feel obliged to say yes. Well, I thought about it and decided that not only did I not really have time, but I didn't want to either. When I do things like that it will be for Humbugs school, and I didn't want to feel under pressure to make something just because my neighbour had asked. I dithered for a day or two, but then I simply said 'thanks for asking, but I don't have time at the moment'. And that was that. Nothing bad happens, my neighbour still speaks to me, and I didn't feel annoyed with myself for agreeing to do something I didn't want to do.
I applaud you for saying no, because after all, it's a word we all have the right to say :o)
Love your cushions! I have not let myself make any cushions for a long time. They are so much fun to make that it's easy to end up with lots and not know where to put them! I still haven't decided if I want cushions on the sofa, so all of ours are stashed away!
Have a lovely day my friend xxxxx
You're a pretty wise woman, you know that, my friend? Here's to saying NO so that we can say YES!
ReplyDeletexoxo!
The exact same thing happened to me recently. And this liberating feeling is still going strong! Congratulations. The best thing for you is to be honest with yourself about what you want.
ReplyDelete