Jewellery, in all its forms tells the story of our life. Whether we choose a necklace or a bracelet, they all tell people more about who we are, and they remind us of places and people, events and special things.
Extending that idea, and compensating the fact that as we get older our memories sometimes need jogging, my jewellery now has a hidden agenda.
Replace Lists with Beauty
I am taking a health coaching course and learned that aide-mémoires, which are used to remind one to change one’s habits, are called anchors. I now have an anchor on my wrist which often gets in the way and so keeps jogging my memory about things I have chosen to change.
It is a beautiful crystal and a private signal for me and me alone. Ingrained habits plus a sieve-like memory need positive anchors. They are important, for if you don’t change the process you will never change the outcome.
The Trick Is in the Trinket
The Catholic church has used this jewellery system for years in the form of a rosary. If I want to remember a series of things when I go shopping, I use a beautiful rosary-type bracelet with lots of different coloured beads.
Each colour is assigned to a different category: blue for washing products, yellow for fruit and green for vegetables. I can check each category and remember what I need. No more leaving the list on the side in the kitchen!
Choose a Beautiful Object
If I have a friend in need, I light a candle in the kitchen. I choose one of the lovely scented ones that lasts for hours which keeps me in mind of that person.
Flights of Dietary Fancy
On my food cupboard I have stuck a stunning butterfly which reminds me that there are some foods I am not eating at the moment – either to lose weight or reduce allergies.
There is nothing more irritating than setting course and then forgetting, in the melee of everyday life, that a food is not on the list. As we get older, quite a few of us have sensitivities we never experienced earlier in life or weight gain that is new to us.
One Foot Firmly on the Ground
A beautiful ornament placed in a certain position can act as a reminder. As a Bowen practitioner, it was important that I leave the room after each part of the treatment.
Running a busy school surgery as medical matron, I once forgot one of the gardeners I was treating and luckily, he slept for the hour in which I forgot about him. After that, I made it a practice to always place a large wooden cat on my diary in the office whenever I was treating a patient!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
I would love to know about your aide-mémoires, your hidden agendas and how you use objects d’art to enrich your life. We can make every situation beautiful to enrich the soul, even the mundane shopping list! Please share below!
