Everyday Gems
Celebrating the everyday gems of life, from nature, to art, to creating our best lives…
The agate and the sun
The agate and the sun - January 1, 2023
Sometimes a photo opportunity presents itself and you need to capture that moment quickly. It was New Year’s Day and I was at South Beach ambling along, looking for cool rocks and driftwood…
The first part of my day had been spent relaxing in bed, reading a book that a friend had sent me for my birthday in the fall. A fantastic book called “An American in Provence”, filled with stunning photography and an inspiring story of a woman, Jamie Beck, who left NYC to live in Provence, France for a year. A story I could relate to on many levels and one that was reminding me of all the possibilities that are available to us at any time, if we choose to act on them. After all, we are the creators of our lives. Why not choose a life that thrills us, intrigues us, and fulfills us? Even if it sounds crazy to others?
“You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald
As F. Scott says, “There are no rules to this thing”, how liberating is that thought? It’s so easy to get caught up in what we think we should be doing, what society tells us we should be doing - but honestly, who’s calling the shots here? We are - with every choice we make about our lives. It’s up to us whether those choices reflect who we actually are or who we think we should be. The key is to do what makes you feel good. It’s really that simple. And… there are a million and one ways to live a life.
If you are happy and fulfilled in your life, that’s awesome - if you are not feeling that way, then perhaps it’s time to think about what you really, really, really want, as Elizabeth Gilbert would say. Her book, “Eat, Pray, Love” changed my life when I read it in 2007. Within three months of reading it, I set off to Europe for five months, following a dream - that I wanted to turn into a book - and Gems: a tour guide was born. Of course, there were twists and turns along the way, and the book is not physical, yet - but I have been living my life, in one way or another, as Gems: a tour guide ever since. This website and blog, my past blog site, my Instagram posts, my Pinterest site, my becoming a gemologist and antique jewelry specialist - all stemmed from taking that leap of faith. Faith in me. And I am excited to see how my journey continues to unfold.
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer
It really is all about perception, which leads me back to my photo at the beach on New Year’s Day.
When I found the golden-colored agate, I had been walking the beach for about an hour. It reminded me of the wintry sun I was seeing on the horizon, just about to dip behind the clouds, putting an end to that first day of the new year. I lifted the agate up to the light of the sun and marveled at these two objects side by side - one, a massive star in the sky, the other a humble and tiny quartz mineral, created here, on our planet Earth - yet from my perspective, at that moment, they were similar in color, shape and size. Millions of miles apart yet sharing the same space in my view. It felt like a miracle to me, what I was seeing and the connection to All, that I was feeling.
Within a minute of taking that image, the sun had disappeared from view. I was happy I acted quickly to capture that beautiful moment. Like many opportunities in life, it’s oftentimes wise to not overthink something and just go for it. Why not?! I think a lot of times we are afraid of failure, or we might not do something perfectly, so we don’t even try. I’ve been guilty of that many times, but I find that I am letting go of perfection in favor of enjoyment of an experience, and expression of my true self.
Moving forward, what are some perceptions about yourself or your life that might benefit from a new perspective? What do you really, really, really want in this life? What beliefs are holding you back? In a birthday card collage I made for a friend, I asked the question, “Curiously, what would you do if you had no fear?” Is now a good time to ask that of yourself?
New year, new perspective :)
-Wendy (aka: gemsatourguide)
-All images are my own