strawberries and soul mantras
new necklaces in the shop
Last Wednesday, I stood at the kitchen sink cutting strawberries while Ellie was eating them almost as fast as I could cut them for her. While getting into that rhythm of quartering them, I had a series of thoughts that went like this, “Maybe we could go to the Farmers’ Market Saturday. Wonder what they will have. Flowers! Maybe this could be the first Saturday in a long line of Saturdays that we get out and have this time as a family. She is so inquisitive. She will love picking out veggies and fruit this summer! And seeing the dogs…. Crap! I have so much to do this weekend. We can’t go to the Farmers’ Market. I have too many custom orders to make and emails to answer.”
And just like that, I dismissed my desire to live deeply and widely with my family.
I didn’t listen to this clear voice in my head telling me what I need and want and went back to the reality I was creating in that moment about not being in charge of my own business.
And then this weekend I spent an hour photographing some lockets + soul mantra pendants I have been meaning to put in the shop for weeks. These are the pieces I have been making alongside the many custom orders I’ve been doing over the last few months. These are the phrases and words that have literally whispered to me and insisted on being included in the batch I was working on. Phrases like:
You Are Enough
Love Big
So I Fly
Each Day I Open Up More
I dance. I love big. I live.
Live It Baby Girl
Seek Joy
I choose love
Connect
Breathe
See Your Light
Trust
Here
And as I opened each one, placed it on the rock I use as a prop, and snapped the photo of the mantra inside, I found myself saying the phrases aloud. And then nodding: yes yes yes.
This piece of realizing you have gotten a bit lost in the business of things and forgetten about the business of living – that is where I found myself as I took those photos.
I started thinking about how going to the Farmers’ Market (and all that it represents) is the most important thing a Saturday morning (and all that it represents) should hold. I know this. I would tell you this if you came to me with this as a piece of your story.
And now it is time to live it more often.
Things have been shifting with my business for almost a year now. I have owned my call to teach + write more and poetry is taking center stage again. I am listening to my desire to start adding mentoring sessions to my offerings (thank you for asking for this! more details soon!). And I am leaning into the truth that superwoman can do anything but she can’t do everything*.
Oh and I am realizing I don’t want to superwoman.
The first step has been to change how I run the shop. I am not taking custom orders for the next few months. Probably until the holidays. The shop will still be filled with Soul Mantra jewelry, but they will almost all be ready to ship, “what you see in this photo is what will arrive in your mailbox,” items. They will be the phrases that are most insisting to be in this world, and I hope you will enjoy them!
Go see! I’ve already stocked the shop with several of these new pieces.
Thanks for reading all of this today as I wanted to share these pieces of my story in case you have pieces of your story that need to shift. In case you want an invitation to shift your schedule to make more time for Farmers’ Markets and all that your heart is telling you it needs…
Big love,
Liz
PS If you or someone you know is a virtual assistant who works with Etsy shops, please email me. I am looking for someone with administrative experience supporting Etsy artists. Thanks!
*When I was little, this saying (superwoman can do anything but she can't do everything) was up in my house above my mom's desk.
shop girl in from the studio, real
Reader Comments (8)
go Liz!
i'm happy for you, deciding and knowing what you need. xo
YES!!!
It's a shame we have to beat ourselves over the head with this realization sometimes.
We too hit a farm market this weekend and had some of those little heaven pockets called real strawberries. They were early!!
Hope you find your balance. I find when you do everything falls in place in all aspects of our lives.
Not that realizing that is easy by any means ;-) It's a struggle.
happy to see you are listening to your inner wisdom :)
It's hard balancing the need to be attentive to your business with the need to be present for yourself, your husband and a baby who needs you. I was fortunate that when I was in the thick of it, my son was in middle school and was more independent. This time in EJ's life is so brief, so precious and will never be again, so it's very wise to honour that. This is all part of growing into motherhood. It's a process, a journey. You have to learn how to fly by the seat of your pants and know when to make the necessary adjustments to that your life works for you and the people you love.
Keep listening to your heart and all will be well with you.
Oh Liz, I so understand where you are coming from... I wish I could tell you in person, give you a big hug and have a large cup of tea together but I live in the UK - so I will send you a virtual hug across the 'wires'. I too am finding that what I need is sometimes difficult to give myself. But I know that I MUST listen to that inner voice because it's my soul, the very essence of me and it needs to be cared for, nourished and loved. It's all a work in progress but I'm learning bit by bit... with your help... xo
Oh, i've been (and am) in that moment SO many times! Go to the Farmers market... go and buy yourself some lovely flowers!
If anything renews your spirit and energy it's a nice trip to the Market and enjoy all those fresh veggies and fruits and all those flowers... i'm sure it will help you to finish those waiting custom orders in no time with those flowers on your desk and more strawberries to nibble on while your working :) !
Loving this decision to honor the need for a family farmers market moment!