If there's one thing I've learned...
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"As one of humanity's oldest symbols the spiral represents eternal change, reminding us that life is not a straight line. It symbolizes new beginnings, renewal and hope for the future. May we live in celebration of our quest for growth and love of life."
While I have to give most of the credit of this modified quote to the label on a Spiral Cellars wine bottle (slightly embarrassing to admit), I think it beautifully captures the spirit I commit to living by, and very much aligns with the philosophies of Feng Shui. (Cheers to that! ) |
The backstory on me, my home & my spiral
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My 8th grade yearbook quotes me stating that when I grew up I wanted to be an interior designer ( and to drive a white Cabriolet ). As a kid I collected home decorating magazines and furniture catalogs. I dreamed HARD about building my own house one day, and I spent hours and hours looking through books of floor plans, imagining walking through the fresh, beautifully-finished homes. Most of my friends didn't share my passion, but I kept daydreaming over the years, and surrounding myself with beauty however I could.
As a young adult, I left my hometown of Arcata, CA and ended up in Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Language Studies a few years later. I still felt the need to satiate my interior design cravings, so I enrolled in a certification program while working in a home decor boutique. Something was still missing for me though, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I put the interior designer plan and question aside for many years as my husband and I started our little family, and we eventually got the long-awaited dream opportunity to build a home. With panoramic views of the mountains from the land my husband grew up on, we were thrilled to get the ball rolling to bring this lifelong dream to a reality.
However, the dream turned nightmarish pretty quickly. As our budget disappeared on things like massive septic systems, massive retaining walls and massive fire truck turnarounds (and other unexciting things you're required to do when you build on a rugged mountainside), we were left with a VERY raw state of a house, and deep debt. With the massive disappointment and stress from the project, combined with the overwhelm of being broke and raising two young kids, AND having no clue what I was doing in life, I lost myself in a state of depression.
In an attempt to dig myself out of that dark hole, I uncharacteristically decided to take up marathon running. It allowed me to shift my identity from a depressed, directionless, unfit mom, to being someone who could find strength, gratitude and joy in all that I had. And I learned to love myself and my home for all that we are, wherever we are, in our growing process. My house is an ongoing project and a wild adventure...and it always will be. ( And as Feng Shui would have it, so is my life! )
Over the years this house has taught me, not only to be okay with, but to celebrate imperfections. (It was even the inspiration for my first business, Rugged Grace ). It has taught me to be a flea market and Craigslist Master ( e.g. I found all of my kitchen cabinets for $100. ) It has taught me to focus on being grateful for what I have and to be proud of my true character. It has taught me to openly and genuinely express myself, and to prioritize wholehearted living over image or material goods. And above all, it has taught me how to to live a life I absolutely love.
Through all of my subsequent personal adventures and development, I finally answered the question of what was still missing, and it happened in the most unexpected of ways. As life inevitably throws us occasional curve-balls, my life took a significant turn from owning a local-art boutique and selling my handmade jewelry,
to dropping everything to have surgery for a large, rare brain tumor.
Unfortunately, my situation was a particularly tricky one and the odds were stacked against me in terms of quality of life after surgery. Fortunately, however, I discovered that blending modern Western technology with ancient practices like meditation, acupuncture, whole-foods nutrition and Feng Shui , allowed me to weather the storm and come out on the other side, having fared FAR better than the majority. While I was gratefully recovering at home, in the midst of a life transition and in the midst of Feng Shui-ing the Career/Life Journey area of my house one day,
a little spark occurred where my two passions intersected:
cultivating a wholehearted lifestyle
+
creating a beautiful environment around me
___________________________________________
As a young adult, I left my hometown of Arcata, CA and ended up in Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Language Studies a few years later. I still felt the need to satiate my interior design cravings, so I enrolled in a certification program while working in a home decor boutique. Something was still missing for me though, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I put the interior designer plan and question aside for many years as my husband and I started our little family, and we eventually got the long-awaited dream opportunity to build a home. With panoramic views of the mountains from the land my husband grew up on, we were thrilled to get the ball rolling to bring this lifelong dream to a reality.
However, the dream turned nightmarish pretty quickly. As our budget disappeared on things like massive septic systems, massive retaining walls and massive fire truck turnarounds (and other unexciting things you're required to do when you build on a rugged mountainside), we were left with a VERY raw state of a house, and deep debt. With the massive disappointment and stress from the project, combined with the overwhelm of being broke and raising two young kids, AND having no clue what I was doing in life, I lost myself in a state of depression.
In an attempt to dig myself out of that dark hole, I uncharacteristically decided to take up marathon running. It allowed me to shift my identity from a depressed, directionless, unfit mom, to being someone who could find strength, gratitude and joy in all that I had. And I learned to love myself and my home for all that we are, wherever we are, in our growing process. My house is an ongoing project and a wild adventure...and it always will be. ( And as Feng Shui would have it, so is my life! )
Over the years this house has taught me, not only to be okay with, but to celebrate imperfections. (It was even the inspiration for my first business, Rugged Grace ). It has taught me to be a flea market and Craigslist Master ( e.g. I found all of my kitchen cabinets for $100. ) It has taught me to focus on being grateful for what I have and to be proud of my true character. It has taught me to openly and genuinely express myself, and to prioritize wholehearted living over image or material goods. And above all, it has taught me how to to live a life I absolutely love.
Through all of my subsequent personal adventures and development, I finally answered the question of what was still missing, and it happened in the most unexpected of ways. As life inevitably throws us occasional curve-balls, my life took a significant turn from owning a local-art boutique and selling my handmade jewelry,
to dropping everything to have surgery for a large, rare brain tumor.
Unfortunately, my situation was a particularly tricky one and the odds were stacked against me in terms of quality of life after surgery. Fortunately, however, I discovered that blending modern Western technology with ancient practices like meditation, acupuncture, whole-foods nutrition and Feng Shui , allowed me to weather the storm and come out on the other side, having fared FAR better than the majority. While I was gratefully recovering at home, in the midst of a life transition and in the midst of Feng Shui-ing the Career/Life Journey area of my house one day,
a little spark occurred where my two passions intersected:
cultivating a wholehearted lifestyle
+
creating a beautiful environment around me
___________________________________________
Feng Shui !
Yes, I literally Feng Shui'd myself into discovering that my life purpose was to become a Feng Shui consultant! I also Feng Shui'd my way to getting certified with the Western School of Feng Shui, one of the highest- ranking Feng Shui schools in the world. This work makes me overflow with joy, and I'm honored to be able to share it with you.
I currently live in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA with my husband of 19 years, my son (15)
and my daughter (13). I spend my time soaking up nature's beauty wherever I can,
and aim to make the best of every life adventure I find myself navigating.
As the spiral reminds us, may we all live in celebration
of our quest for growth and love of life.
With gratitude, Sara
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P.S. I never did go the route of the white Cabriolet.
P.P.S If you're curious about how I navigated my brain tumor adventures, visit my personal blog. P.P.P.S. If you see me in person you'll notice that half of my face is still making its way back from paralysis after the surgery. (Nerves heal really slowly.) Even if it's hard to tell by looking, just know that I am almost always smiling! |
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