A few weeks ago I was the recipient of a random act of kindness. I was sitting in my car waiting for someone when a man approached my window holding a lovely handmade pot and asked me if I’d like it. Turns out he was a potter who was randomly giving away pieces of his early work that he found less than perfect. To me it was perfectly wabi sabi and beautiful. I took the pot home, put a little plant in it and set it on my kitchen window sill.

When I told a friend about it she said, “every time you look at it, you will remember the back story.” She’s right because that little pot continually brings a smile to my face when I think of the surprising and generous act by a stranger. Now my friend is a master of “the back story”. There isn’t a piece of art on her walls that she can’t tell you a little story about.

I started to think about the special mementos that I have in my home, small stones that I have picked up in my travels, inherited things from people no longer here.  I had a gobsmacked moment. I realized it isn’t about the thing, it’s about the back story. If you saw the cluster of small stones on my bookshelf you might wonder what they are doing there. But to me they are imbued with the meaning of place.

And then I got to thinking a little more about the “back story” and I realized how often it infuses what we surround ourselves with in our homes and work spaces.  I think it’s one of the reasons that people love original art. They know a little about who made it, why they make it, where they live. It is infused with the energy of the maker’s hand and spirit. It speaks of a place on this beautiful planet.

Another part of the back story of art and other precious objects is that they remind us of a certain quality we value when we look at them.  Something that whispers peace and tranquility reminds us to slow down and breathe. We feel that peace when we look at it. It can even alter our heart rate or metabolic state.  A bright and lively painting can suffuse us with joy, wake us up from a dull state and uplift our mood.  Something from a loved one speaks of connection, that life giving quality that let’s us know we are loved and part of something larger than our little selves.

 

I invite you to look around your living space with fresh eyes.

Is it inspiring and full of life?

Do you love it?

Or is it ho-hum? Meh, even?

Does it have a back story?

Does it tell the story of qualities that are important to you, like peace and harmony, joy and light heartedness?

We can use this idea of back story with intention and awareness to help make our environment a strong force for positive energy in our inner world.

I always love hearing from you and invite you to share your thoughts with me on what “back story” means to you and how it shows up in your world.