Big lessons from a small scale creation

The creative part of the tag above is covered at my other blog.

Here's the lesson that happened when the creative Muse brought her teaching companions. I call them Karma and the the Universe. But reality - God teaches and if we are open to the lessons, we can continually grow.

I started the tag for my 31 day project with NO IDEA how the crap to illustrate the word. Others on the list are so easy for me to picture, but this one - NOPE - BLANK - NO IDEA. (this fact should have been the first indication of a lesson coming - one which keeps your own ideas out of the way of the teaching)


I took the "easy" way out. I cut the dictionary definition out.  I read it - and I sat with it - and waited for the muse. (No digging thru my stuff or anything)

As I said earlier - she showed up and brought her friends and i said ---- UH-OH when those two show up - its gonna be a good one.

I pulled out my box of stuff labeled "GAME PIECES". Okay, maybe we are taking a "doing something fun makes you content" approach. I pulled a Monopoly $100.00 bill. Then from another box a tear-off ticket stub. Lying there on the table - a tag - and a strange assemblage of papers.

Get ready ------ here's the lesson

MONEY AND STUFF ARE NOT THE TICKET TO BEING CONTENT. CONTENTMENT REALLY DOES COME FROM FULLY ACCEPTING YOURSELF RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE NOW. 


This phrase repeatedly echoed in my brain. The remaining elements then literally were easy to add to the tag.

My thinking changed.

A stamp featuring a dog ----  give dogs food, shelter, and attention and they are happy as they can be. CONTENT with the very basics they have. Not at all concerned that his collar is not as nice as the poodle who live across the street wears. Or that he gets a bath at home instead of going to that fancy place she goes to.

The DMC Floss label - I have hundreds that I've kept. I also have LOTS of floss that I've never used. I cross stitched obsessively for years and went on a HAD TO HAVE all the colors on the list spree, then my enthusiasm waned for that craft.  On to the next obsession - (lather, rinse, repeat) you get the idea. OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOR IS NOT HEALTHY FOR ANYONE. BALANCE - fun and play and work and service and do not forget worship and rest. Balance your life and you will find a lot more CONTENTMENT. 

Then there's the little amber bead drop - I have a pickle jar FULL of assorted bits. Beads, trims, sequins, etc. A fabric warehouse sale with a bin full of ends and trimmings - sign saying stuff a bag for a dollar - most people get ONE --- me I stuffed three. 3.00 - sounds innocent doesn't it - but I rarely pull that jar to do anything with the stuff. Why? Because I have to dig through it. All mixed up. Aggravating. Another message. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE - it's not a bargain if you are not going to USE it. I have beads and sequins and stuff that is sorted and easy to use and i go to them all the time. I should have been CONTENT with those and not looked at this pile and just had to have it.

That last little bit - a piece of cardboard tube with a tiny bit of string still on it. I have a jar of these in assorted colors. Have no idea why I bought them, but I did. Years ago. And this is very first time I have ever used one thing out of that jar. I display them in the jar in the studio and when I look at them it makes me happy. Someone saved these - just like me - thinking there may be use for this stuff in the future. This may seem to contradict the message of the tag so far, but here's my thinking on this. Being CONTENT does not mean just waiting for things to happen to you. Planning for future and working for things is not the same as waiting for this to happen before I can be happy. you know "I'll just be CONTENT when I pay off this" or "if I could just have _______ I would be CONTENT." 

I added a plain cotton string hanger to this because I want the reminder that while it looks complicated, there is often a plain and simple way to everything.

See - I told you the Muse brought the teachers on this one.

Let's just see what happens the rest of this month project.

And maybe - I'll use some of the stuff in that dang mixed jar of bits.