Linen and Life

It's weird, that when I was browsing HSN linen sales (who ever thought I'd be doing that anyway!?), but I was browsing early one morning. And then this was at the end of a particular page:

Update Your Bedding and Reinvent Your Bedroom

The bedding you choose makes all the difference when it comes to sleep quality. Don't scrimp on your bedclothes. It's just not necessary. You might think that there's no need to worry about your sheets and blankets because you're only in bed to sleep and browse Instagram until the wee hours of the morning. However, you can't function when you don't sleep well. Say goodbye to scratchy quilts, heavy comforters, and ill-fitting sheets. Invest in a deluxe bedding set or stock up on sheets with a sky-high thread count. It makes a difference. You can select a ready-made collection or pick and choose the pieces you want to put on your bed. Are you the type of person who needs 50 decorative pillows? You got it. Add some cushion and protection to your bed with a pillow-soft mattress pad. Include some frills with a bed skirt and pillow shams. Create a luxurious boudoir or look for items that will help you Feng Shui your sanctuary. Don't let cost keep you from the bed of your dreams. Stop settling for blankets that don't add value to your sleep. HSN has a variety of bedding options.

There was no sales push for anything in particular, just "Hey, Girl, Why settle for bad linen?"

Genius. I felt like the person who typed that, inserted it into the sales pages of HSN, and reached people like me was 'spot on'. I do settle sometimes. And sleep is important. Very important, matter of fact. This type of marketing reached into my spirit, and made me realize that settling is what I often do - including my linen selections. An example of this is a sheet set I got at TJMaxx. Super soft and nice, so it seemed. And it was nice on my bed too, but when I laid in bed, the fitted sheet would always begin to pull up and off. Each night and morning, I would pull it back over, and this became a ritual. But I liked the feel of the sheets, so I would "do the work" to keep them on. Silly me. Luckily, David ended up getting me some new flannel sheets for the winter that happen to snuggle the bed, and I'm no longer fighting the sheets each day. But yeah, this quip (above) that was on HSN, spread through my soul like wild fire. I often settle, for things that are important. This friendly reminder streamed across my universe in a multitude of areas. What about those coffee mugs that I secretly complain about in my head? What about things around here that I'm still holding onto, that others could find value in? And the rush of all the things that I unconsciously settle with. I've done a lot of Death Cleaning, and consider it a part of my life now. Downsizing my things, and ridding myself of extra items, and keeping around, that makes me happy and what I deem "needed". Still working on it, though. But settling, am I? Maybe I am? Why do I not know. 

But, yet, this concept from the HSN marketing blurb was more than that. "Don't scrimp", it says. "It's just not necessary." Who uses the word scrimp anymore? I like it. The excerpt did not speak to me as in: "Spend all your money and buy all this stuff!'. Instead, it said to me, "Don't Be A Settler". I loved its gentle reminder. 

This is what I love about life. The older I get, the more I can see things differently and maybe even clearer. Or at least I think I do. I could just be kidding myself, and playing a record in my head that tells me this. But I do feel like I'm trying to make life easier, have only what I need, and interact with the world in a productive way. Being alive is a big responsibility. 

I'm now torn, after reading HSN's words. It's awoke something in me, that reminds me to think about things more. Not in a way to "buy" more, but what around me is not serving me? And what serves other people? Thank you, HSN, for that. And for reminding me to not be a settler, and to try and focus on what's important, and what's important to other people. I get lost in my day to day world, that sometimes I don't raise my head up enough to really see what's going on. I going to go out in my day today, and focus on seeing things through other people's lens. I'll try to not project myself and my thoughts on them. I think that would be a good project for me today - and the coming days. Like living outside myself, and looking back at myself. 

Who knew one excerpt from HSN could have ever prompted so many random thoughts? But it did.

I'll report back,

Cyndi