INSIDE: Redefining life at any age, taming a 3000-book library, and it’s all or nothing: the art of embracing life.
Now for this weekend’s recommended reads…
Is it ever too late to change your life?
I think you know the answer to this question…
In this thoughtful essay, Anne Boyd tackles this scary but freeing question: am I too old to change my life? It’s a follow up to her equally worth reading post on ‘two years ago I quit my life.’ She writes with such conviction.
She reminds us the only real barrier to change is our own self-doubt.
As crafters, we know the thrill of starting a new project! Boyd encourages us to apply that same excitement to our lives.
How our world changes as we age:
“As we get older, it also seems that we start to feel less and less like the world is there for us to explore. We worry about moving, traveling, or simply giving up what is familiar.”
As she stresses, convincing yourself is half the task:
“The first step in any journey is the believing in yourself. You have to be able to tell yourself, Yes, this crazy, outlandish, audacious thing I’ve fantasized about is actually possible… Doubts will naturally crop up, but deep down you must have faith in yourself.”
The never-ending story of a personal library.
You won’t believe the size of Joel J Miller’s personal library: over 3000 books! And he needs them, given the research required for his upcoming book, Tools Of Invention: the surprising story of how books made our world & shape our future.
In this delightful post, he describes how he solved this daunting task. His writing shows us how our libraries are living reflections of our creativity.
“Let me explain the scope of the project. Upon my most recent count, I had about 3,200 books, many still in boxes. I’ve got two floor-to-ceiling built-ins in my study covering two walls and a new set along one wall at the top of the stairs.”
And final note about the 'permanent work in progress' nature of a home library resonated with me:
“And that’s probably something worth noting about a personal library, maybe the most important thing: It’s never fully organized because it’s never fully done. A personal library is a permanent work in progress with all the discovery, rediscovery, and joy that implies. With a home library, the final 90% is never complete. It’s just an open invitation for more attention and curation.”
It’s all or nothing: the art of embracing life.
Josie George writes beautifully about her life (especially in her book, A Still Life) and this essay is no exception.
When it comes to the soul, it’s often all or nothing. As she writes:
“The trouble is, as soon as you close your heart to one thing — to anything — you close your heart. It doesn’t work in increments. As soon as I begin to say no and pull away, there is a contraction, and that contraction closes me off. So I have to ask the question: do I want be open, or closed? Then I have to follow through. I have to acknowledge that to say ‘no’ to the cloud means also saying no to the tight fists of the peonies next to me too.”
And as she reminds the reader as much as herself:
“It is not the easy lesson you think it is. Real love is all in. ‘All in’ is what it means to choose to really love my garden, ‘nature’, the world. It’s what it means to choose to love my body and myself. It’s what it means to choose to love life itself and that is not easy, not easy at all.”
The note she ends on is such a powerful one:
“What do I want most? To die saying ‘welcome, welcome, thank you’. To die smiling if I can. To be so well practised, it comes easy. Then I’ll know I’ve lived.”
Have you yearned for something different as you age? Ever organized your home library? When was a time you fully said ‘yes’ to life?
Press reply or leave a comment with your thoughts.
Before you go…
Thank you so much for the mention, Jodie ❤️