I bought a cushion!
A simple thing you may think, so what’s the big deal?
Over the past couple of years we have extended and revamped our front balcony. When it was finished we bought new chairs to go with the table that we’d had for years but hadn’t been able to use because we had nowhere to put it.
Once the balcony was complete we hung the hammock, that had also been waiting years for a place to hang.
The balcony was fabulous. It was great to finally have an outdoor space for entertaining, for dinner on balmy summer evenings, and for just hanging out. Perfect for when the family come over.
The hammock was a gift for my husband, our son brought it back from Brazil, my husband loves it, the grandchildren love it … and so does Rosie, who just loves to get in and have a snooze with dad!
But the whole balcony looked very grey. Grey tiles, grey chairs, black railing, it needed something to lift it. Functionally it was perfect it just needed the aesthetics worked on.
I was at the Kiama Seaside Markets and I saw a cushion that I loved, I had spent all the money in my wallet so the generous stall holder gave me a piece of fabric to take home to see if it ‘worked’.
The chair I wanted it for was directly outside the lounge room and the colours in the fabric lifted the area just as I’d hoped.
At the next market I bought the cushion, brought it home and put it on the designated chair. It looked fantastic, instant lift.
My daughter came to visit and stated what I already knew. The new cushion that you could see from the lounge room didn’t go with the red-based cushions I had on the sofa. It didn’t flow.
We moved the new cushion inside and placed it on the sofa, instant lift. I loved it, but it didn’t go with the cushions I already had.
So, long story short, I bought four new cushions to go with the ‘new’ one, placed them on the sofa and, instant lift. I had a throw in the bedroom that worked well with them too. I loved it and even my husband approved!
Now every time I walk past the lounge room, which is often, it has a whole new feel to it and it makes me feel lighter.
But I am left with more questions. Does this pot work here? Should I buy a tall plant for that corner?
An old cushion that I loved now resides on the balcony. But, should I go and buy a replica of the ‘new’ cushion to put where it was originally meant to go? And so the questions continue.
What started out as the purchase of one cushion has created a domino effect.
I loved the cushion. It didn’t go with what I already had but I loved it enough to get rid of the things that it didn’t go with it.
I changed the look and the energy in the room and it changed the way I felt.
This same scenario works for all areas of our life.
When you just change one small thing, it leads to the next thing and then the next and so it goes…
Instead of making a huge decision, or needing to see the end result before you start, which certainly wasn’t the case with the cushion, just start with one thing that you want to do differently and see where that takes you.
- Get up in the morning and have a glass of water with lemon in it first thing before you eat or drink anything else.
- Then take it outside and spend five minutes just noticing your breath and listening to the sounds of the morning.
- Then get up earlier than everyone else in the house and spend ten minutes outside, with you glass of lemon water, noticing your breath and listening to the sounds of the morning.
There is something so magical about that time of the day ~ and the musical performance the birds put on is amazing.
Once you change one thing, you will be drawn to do something else and then something else and so it goes.
Small changes, small steps … and those small steps can lead you on the most wonderful journey.
So start doing something different today. You never know where it might take you!
And let me know, I would love to hear what steps you took.
[Now the feature wall in the lounge room that my husband was so proud of doesn’t really go, so that will have to go on the job list. But don’t tell him ~ just yet!}
