Last year, instead of making resolutions, I posted a list of things I had learnt in order to mark the passing of an old year and the beginning of a new one. Reading over these
musings, I am struck by how each of these lessons have reappeared in some form over the last 12 months and how I am all the stronger for knowing them. So, in the hope of keeping on the path of learning, here are my lessons from 2010:
- Make Your Own Experience. Those words from that
German stranger still resonate with me and probably will do for some time. I am guilty of waiting for the excitement to come to me, but I will do my best to get out there and find my own experiences too, no matter how daunting. As I found in September, the biggest rewards are to be found at the end of the biggest challenges.
- Know Your Own Style. One thing I have enjoyed since starting working in Manchester city center is being able to embrace my own style. Clothing-wise I have enjoyed refining my own look without the worry of standing out (as there's no shortage of unique tastes in this city). Applying this thought to my home, I love the idea of relaxing in surroundings full of my favourite things. OK - not everything matches perfectly, but if I love it, it's good enough for me.
- Think Quality & Not Quantity. After detoxing my home last week, I was struck by how my biggest mistakes were the cheap impulse buys. Today, with certain high street shops selling clothes and home-ware at shockingly low prices, the temptation is great to spend money on throw-away fashion, that I have worn once and never again. Issues of labour exploitation in the production of these things aside, I find I never love these budget buys and with the money wasted, I could have invested in something that would last and make me happy much longer.
7 days into January, I'm feeling a bit blue. With Christmas over and no holidays on the horizon it's difficult to find that energy needed to make the best out of long days at work and dark mornings. Now would be a fantastic time to hibernate for a few months! My plan is take baby steps to brighten things up until I reach February. To cheer up my work space I have used this
lovely desktop wallpaper at Wild Olive and I think a bunch of flower are in order at home. Roll on spring time!
Em x
