It comes down to a simple question: what do you want out of life, and what are you willing to do to get it?  Unknown

I bought and remodeled a condo when I became an empty nester. It was both exciting and a bit overwhelming. Originally, I thought I wanted a condo in a certain part of town. Then I wanted a little house by the lake. After that I realized what I needed to do was give myself permission and time to explore. I kept having to ask myself “what do you want?” Finally, I realized that I needed trees and a certain environment—everything else I could work with.

I then found the perfect condo, but it needed a huge facelift and I ended up having to remodel it from top to bottom. Weeks of stores and tiles and paint colors also left me wondering how it would all go together. I’m not a designer! Again, I realized that I needed to give myself time and permission to explore. I needed to ask the same question of myself, “What do you want?” I began to notice the kinds of colors and styles that repeatedly caught my eye, and as I collected samples, I saw that a pattern was emerging. I could really see which things I liked and which ones I chose only because I wondered if they might in some way be “better.” Finally, I decided to focus just on the things I liked, and after three months of remodeling, I moved into a gorgeous, contemporary condo that looked different from anything I originally would have said I wanted, but is exactly and perfectly ME.

Spiritual Contemplation: What exploration do you need to do to discover what you like and want? When are you overly influenced by what others might think or what you think you should want?

Affirmation: I take the time to explore and discover what I like and want. This makes my life feel so much more abundant because it suits me.