As I sit writing my last blog piece of 2019 I’ve had the luxury of time to reflect upon my year – looking at what I have learnt from my day to day and being me.
I think the biggest and boldest lesson I always relearn is: sharing is caring
Sharing time * Sharing ourselves *Sharing our home * Sharing food * Sharing our experiences
This year I have shared so much. My business, with my amazing business partner, so that I can continue to grow with my passion. My thoughts, which allows me to bolster my family relationships. Myself, giving me the liberty to be a mum, partner, creative director and friend without guilt.
This concept presents itself in so many of my clients’ homes. Working together they are able to share their to do list, we move through it together and then they can see, almost instantly, how it allows them to make their home life happier.
The concept really sums up what I think we all have to keep focusing on if we want to lead a simpler, organised and happy life.
Sharing time allows us to delegate when we can’t manage the bus-i-ness of life in our own. When we do this we can acquire more time and learn from those with whom we share the jobs. Having more time allows us to share ourselves with others and for others to do the same.
Sharing ourselves allows us to be present in our world. New adventures, new hobbies, new work ventures are always better shared. Meeting new people, learning new skills, being out and about leads to so many opportunities. Life is for living not just paying bills!
Sharing our home allows us to invite people in, for us to be proud of what we have and use our creativity to create a home that shows off our experiences and our lives. Size doesn’t matter, it is the warmth of feeling cosy and safe in your own home and happy with what you have and sharing that with others.
Sharing food, especially at Christmas, is a wonderful way to reconnect with family and friends. A great way to share is have friends or family over on Boxing day and bring the left overs! A sharing board with all the goodies on it is a stress free way to share the love of good food and not have the stress of cooking for another day! Food unites and replenishes our souls and always tastes better with friends and family.
Sharing our experiences allows us to understand we are not alone in our feelings. From guilt, sadness, troubled decisions, happiness and excitement, sharing our feelings good or bad, and our experiences directly benefits our physical and mental well being and takes the pressure away from our own minds. A problem shared is a problem halved.
“The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way.”
― Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and Ajq'ij of the Eagle Clan
5 top sharing tips
1. Delegate your bus-i-ness – Heyworth Gordon provides a flexible, experienced and non-judgemental service for household administration and property management. Ethical, transparent and trust-worthy. Share your bus-i-ness and we will give you back time.
2. Share your skills. January is a great time to volunteer, learn a new skill, share your time. In November me and my girlfriends created borrow-the-girls. For all those jobs that we needed doing in our homes, but couldn’t do on our own. My friend didn’t have the time, money or creativity to paint her home. One Friday off work, 4 friends and we painted the lounge, hallway and the porch....next is my other friends yoga room!
3. Refugees at Home my client has been doing this and said the opportunity to connect with new people and share their experiences has been one of the most rewarding things she and her husband have ever done. They have sat in during the evenings and listened to stories and adventures, shared new foods and by sharing given hope to new lives.
4. No Fuss Party Planners sharing food is just the best thing. I always thing left overs from Christmas Day are the best! No stress just picky-picky food that you can graze on through out the day!
5. Under Saturn's Shadow - The Wounding and Healing of Men I experience counselling every time I see my friends, as women we are so lucky to have the freedom of talking about our emotions. I don’t think this luxury is available to men in the same way. My partner introduced me to this book and it was like someone opened up a man’s brain and let me look inside. When I work in clients home, mainly with women, the misunderstanding of the genders plays a huge part in how homes often don’t work. Have a read and see what you think....
“There is no joy in possession without sharing”,
- Erasmus
Thank you taking the time to read my thoughts and I wish you all a wonderful and peaceful Christmas and a healthy and happy new year
Love and warmth,
Olivia x
Photo Credit - Heyworth Gordon Sharing Boards, available to all our clients in the London area!!