Welcome to The Wildroot Parables weekly discussions! This is where we can come together as a community and have real talk with one another: open, honest, gracious, and curious.
This is YOUR space to discuss with each other, not just engage with me! Because of this, SAFE SHARING is my highest priority. If you are not engaging safely and with grace with others, you will have to leave. Period.
Thank you for entering this space with care!
On Monday I wrote a little ditty about my history with unhealthy coffee habits, and how that has shifted into something much more purposeful. Habits without mindfulness can often sour on us, no matter if those habits are physical, emotional, or spiritual. We all know how bad habits can affect us, but what about GOOD habits done without care?
This week the question is: what outwardly GOOD habits have you noticed in your life that no longer serve you? Things you started doing with good intentions that went sour in some way, or lost their meaning? If that’s too personal, you could tell us what habits—especially spiritual ones—that you would like to adopt in your daily life.
Note: habits—even good ones—can be a deeply personal topic, so please remember to have extra grace and gentleness with yourself and others in today’s discussion!
Getting involved in all the community things--the monthly town meeting, the clean-up days, the markets, the parades. I’m in a season where I need to draw inward a bit, to take care of myself and my family. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all...so I’m not! Sometimes we have to choose between better and best. I’m choosing best.
Make-up! For many years I had to be out of the house daily & my job required a level of “put togetherness”, plus all the women in my family had the mentality that you got dressed in “real clothes” and never, ever went out without make-up. Frankly, you never went past breakfast without it unless you were sick! This carried over into my adult years. It was a necessary habit, like brushing one’s teeth. Several years ago I transitioned to working full time from home, and eventually (sometime during the pandemic) I realized there was zero reason to be exhausting myself with the whole formalness of “getting ready” each & every day. Not to say I’m working in my pajamas, but a client on the phone doesn’t care if I’m wearing make-up! This started overflowing into realizing neither does the cashier at the grocery store. It’s been very freeing! I still wear make-up but have changed how I approach this habit. What I once viewed as a daily given that proved my worthiness to be in public at all is now a choice.
Love it! Today I went to the grocery store with no makeup. I only thought about it once then went on my merry way. While I was there, I chatted with a worker there. She clearly had skin issues on her chin like I do. As I left, I thought: when I allow others to see my imperfections, maybe it makes them feel a little more comfortable about theirs.
Getting involved in all the community things--the monthly town meeting, the clean-up days, the markets, the parades. I’m in a season where I need to draw inward a bit, to take care of myself and my family. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all...so I’m not! Sometimes we have to choose between better and best. I’m choosing best.
Choosing between better & best ... love that! That is great advice.
Make-up! For many years I had to be out of the house daily & my job required a level of “put togetherness”, plus all the women in my family had the mentality that you got dressed in “real clothes” and never, ever went out without make-up. Frankly, you never went past breakfast without it unless you were sick! This carried over into my adult years. It was a necessary habit, like brushing one’s teeth. Several years ago I transitioned to working full time from home, and eventually (sometime during the pandemic) I realized there was zero reason to be exhausting myself with the whole formalness of “getting ready” each & every day. Not to say I’m working in my pajamas, but a client on the phone doesn’t care if I’m wearing make-up! This started overflowing into realizing neither does the cashier at the grocery store. It’s been very freeing! I still wear make-up but have changed how I approach this habit. What I once viewed as a daily given that proved my worthiness to be in public at all is now a choice.
Love it! Today I went to the grocery store with no makeup. I only thought about it once then went on my merry way. While I was there, I chatted with a worker there. She clearly had skin issues on her chin like I do. As I left, I thought: when I allow others to see my imperfections, maybe it makes them feel a little more comfortable about theirs.
♥️