simple shui | how metaphors mark the spot

i keep beads all around our house. rosary. tibetan. mala.

but not for religious reasons or rites.

yet when people come into our home or see pics on my blog, the beads say something to them.

specifically, these necklaces represent the meanings they associate with beads.

you know, prayer. meditation. religion.

however, it’s usually one remark or question later, and they understand what the beads represent to me.

most of my strands have 108 beads. some more; others less.

and most days, it feels like i have 108 things to do. some more; others less. add in my lovelies and their 108 things EACH, and that breathless climb threatens to wear me out on the daily.

the beads are mindfully woven throughout our home to remind me i can only do one thing well at a time.

much like a ritual where a prayer bead is held one at a time, until the entire strand is circumvented.

one thing at a time reminds me that when i stay present…

take my time…

say NO to some things…

i almost always have time to say YES to the things that matter most.

the beads have never been about religion or higher powers or anything of that nature.

every single strand — and now perhaps you’ll see why i love collecting them — pulls me back into the full-strength of this moment + right now.

and that’s why metaphor is everything in shui.

because metaphors are the reminder to show up spectacularly for ourselves.

xo

p.s. on this same note, i almost always return home from my trips with a new set of beads. so, while my beads are a collection of reminders to breathe + notice + be more awake, they also hold travel energies in place so i am never more than 12 months away from an exciting new adventure!

p.p.s. in live with what you love, i share why LOVE + METAPHOR are necessary ingredients for our homes. and there are several exercises included to help get you + your house in tip-top metaphorical shape. if this sounds like the bee’s knees, check it out here!