Today’s Philosophy Friday is about getting inspired simply by visiting one of your favorite shops!
How? Here’s a little story:
These past couple weeks have been brutal at work; I come home feeling like a corpse…feeling as if I’ve had all the life drained out of me. That’s not the real me, and it makes me sad when I feel that way because of my job. The real me is happy and chirpy and energetic! 🙂 Earlier this week, I decided to drop into a beautiful house & garden boutique on my way home from work. It’s a lovely store with fountains and plants and nice music and nature-inspired home décor. I went in just to experience the store’s beauty — not to buy anything. And I was amazed at how much my spirits were lifted by spending just 15 minutes there. The atmosphere of the store reminded me of who I really was — what I love, and what my passions are (which I pretty much totally forget when I am working!). I left feeling rejuvenated as the cares of the week just faded into the background.
Try this technique sometime! Here’s how:
Think of something you enjoy…a hobby, an interest, and then think of a store that’s dedicated to that interest…perhaps a garden center/greenhouse, yarn shop, bookstore, music store, cooking shop, clothing boutique, antique store, herbal apothecary, gourmet food shop, art gallery, art supply store, travel store, camping store, whatever. Just go there without any intent to buy anything (leave your purse at home!). Wander around, absorb the atmosphere, and allow yourself to be inspired by what you see. Get ideas from the creative displays. Being surrounded by a concentrated dose of things that pertain to your passions will connect you directly to who you really are at your core (which, on a day-to-day basis, might be deeply buried!). (Also, just because you go into a store does not mean you have to feel obligated to buy something. It’s perfectly okay to just look around!)
You might just be surprised at how much inspiration you can get from your favorite shop, without even buying anything. 🙂
Leave a Reply