Who you are surrounded by matters (more discussion on this in a future blog). What you are surrounded by matters as well. My house holds great memories, but it is also where I lived when I was diagnosed with and battled triple negative breast cancer. And, I’d like to rid myself of some of these reminders.
There’s no spigot of money, but there are some relatively low cost things that I can do to surround myself by some beautiful and uplifting things that replace negative reminders and provide instant gratification. Items of beauty and positivity can be a constant source of encouragement, motivation and inspiration. Here are a few:
- Music player or iPod speaker – uplifting music at your fingertips. (I will share some uplifting tunes on my playlist in a future blog).
- Bible verses, poems, calming passages posted or framed (I will share a few that I like and that have been motivational for me in a future blog).
- Piece(s) of art – preferably one that you create. Watercolor, drawing, sculpture, framed puzzle can all be therapeutic as well as become pieces of art.
- Color throughout. Paint can be a quick, easy and relatively inexpensive project, especially if you tackle an accent wall; an accent wall should be the wall that you look at first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to sleep. You can also add some colorful curtains, pillows or throws (remnants from most fabric and craft stores are sold at discounts and could be a good source for creating some of these pieces).
- Uplifting books of hope, faith, and courage. (I’ll share a few that I like and that have been motivational for me in a future blog).
- Flowers – if not allergic, a few fresh flowers from the supermarket are not too expensive. If you have allergies, the synthetic flower market has really evolved and they have some that look like the real deal.
- A vase filled with colorful marbles or accents.
- A vision board (definitely would love to discuss this in a future blog) or a picture of your serenity place (the beach, the woods, a mountain).
- Scented candle if not allergic or some fragrance that is tolerable. Plus, the candle market has evolved and some are also actually like works of art.
- Pictures of you and your support team that will reinforce the full force that you’ve got behind you.
This is not an exercise in interior design or a makeover, but more a spruce up to help infuse more positivity and uplifting things in your every day. If you don’t have the time, energy or finances to begin these changes, they are great suggestions to provide to your support team when they ask “How can I help?” “What can I do?” “What do you want?” You can provide your list and invite their assistance to help you infuse your surroundings with positive reminders and beauty.
Please send pictures and updates of any ideas that you incorporate in your surroundings and also any additional ideas that you have to add to the list.
Melanie A. Nix – Triple negative breast cancer survivor. Resilience Coach, Reconstructionist™ and Health and Wellness Advocate. Always striving to color outside of the lines when defining my new normal.