About twenty minutes ago my youngest child walked into my office with a green marble and asked if I could make a necklace out of it.
Until recently my answer would have been, “I know it can be done, but I don’t know how.” But in February I was smitten with a beautiful necklace on Etsy made out of a vintage pin and I went from “I could make that!” to buying all the supplies (and buying the original necklace) in under a week. I made six necklaces, agreed that the Etsy price was very fair (because supplies and time are not), and now I have a small stash of jewelry making supplies next to the embroidery, felting, quilting, 3D printing, and painting supplies. As one does.
What would have been impossible in January was now the work of twenty minutes as I twisted some gold coil while watching the last of Bridgerton season two. It was a quick and easy job because: I had the skills, I had the time, I had the tools, and I the tools were available without any extra steps.
To me this seems to encapsulate so much of what I’ve been learning in 2022.
Most situations aren’t impossible, we simply don’t have the tools available to do what we want or need to do. Maybe the tools are out of our reach for personal reasons. Perhaps we need to learn, or practice, or train. Maybe the tools are out of our reach for social reasons. Perhaps access is restricted because of wealth, location, or prejudices. Maybe the tools haven’t been invented yet.
Whatever the case, whether it’s developing ways to cope with health issues, past traumas, or ongoing challenges the solution doesn’t come at the snap of anyone’s fingers. It takes work, and time, and, usually, asking for help. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you replace a tire.
It’s not just okay to ask for help, it’s good to ask for help. Sometimes the best tool at your disposal is finding someone who knows what they’re doing and tell them what you want. You don’t need to live life alone. You don’t need to do everything by yourself.
Take the shiny thing you found that you want to elevate, take it to someone you love, and ask them to help you make your world a little more beautiful. It won’t be long until you have what you wanted all along.