#21 What Do You Collect?
Nov 17, 2021
A couple of weeks ago, I got to sit down (via zoom) with a woman I met through the virtual clinic with Charley Snell. She’d reached out after the clinic to let me know that we had something in common- broken backs… After a few email exchanges, I learned she wrote a book about her experiences- I ordered it right away and read it in 2 days.
I’m so inspired by people that have s@#t handed to them and turn it to gold. This is the gist of her story AND I’m excited that she is the next podcast interview (coming out next Thursday).
Her name is Michelle Scully and her book- in case you don’t want to wait until Thursday to order… is called Broken: Tales of a Titanium Cowgirl- it has lessons for anyone who has struggled with hard things… pretty much covers all of us!
One of the nuggets from her story is the idea of building up a bank of the everyday moments that bring us joy. The sun on our face, the smell of a horse, a song from a happy robin, the sound of rain on the roof, the smile of a loved one. I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea lately. There are so many gifts throughout each day… how often do we go right past them, focused on an annoyance or moment that brought us pain?
Now… don’t get me wrong, I believe the painful things in our lives need to be given space too- but it’s SO easy to allow a whole day or more to be consumed by the negatives… ask me how I know this 😂.
I’ve been thinking about the joy-moments as things to be collected. Like when you’re walking on a beach in search for a beautiful shell or rock. You’re focused; searching for it. Along the way you might see lots of other things of beauty and maybe some things that aren’t so beautiful- you take them all in, but you’re in search for that one that earns a place in your pocket, to bring back and share with the ones you love or maybe to add to a special spot in your house or barn.
In every moment, we have multitudes of choices around us of things to focus on. What will you collect? What will you be on the lookout for? My collection of joy-moments is growing larger and I’ve revisited them so many times they are crystal clear in my mind, so if I’m having a hard day- which I do- I can “look” into my collection of memories and pull up one that will brighten my day.
What will you collect?
