Pinterest: Worthless Addiction or Passionate Pursuit?

Surely you've heard of the new Pinterest fad, and maybe you've even found yourself addicted, like we have?  For those of you who have yet to stumble upon this craze, let me explain...

Pinterest is sweeping the online world by storm!  We liken it to a series of online bulletin boards.  You can "pin" things you find while surfing the web to your Pinterest boards, and organize them into various categories.  Websites, recipes, images and ideas can be quickly "pinned" and easily organized, along with the link to the source for easy reference later, if needed.  You can also follow others (and they can follow you), and re-pin each others pins, growing your collection even more.

Pinterest is becoming a bit of a "guilty" pleasure in some circles, with many women embarrassed to admit how much time they spend pinning.  If you're a closet Pinterest fan, take heart.  As long as you're not neglecting your family, your work, and your own self-care, we've found it to actually be a fun and empowering pastime.  Let us explain...

Dreams: We all have dreams and goals for the future.  Think of Pinterest as an online dream board!  You can create as many boards as you like, and give them any title.  Your dream vacation can come alive, your kitchen remodel can start to take shape, and your bucket list can become more visual. The possibilities are endless!

Creativity: There are projects for DIY'ers of all skill-levels on Pinterest.  I used to be quite a crafter, but as so often happens with life, I had moved on to other interests.  Opening my Pinterest account woke up the crafter inside me.  The question now is what to create first?! 

Passions: The thing about passions is that oftentimes we're afraid to commit (and fail).  With Pinterest you can create your passionate endeavors in pictures first, explore them from a distance, and try them on for size.  Heck, Pinterest is a passion in itself!  When it feels right to take the next step in your goals, and eventually it will, you're ready to dive in and make it happen.  It may not be today, or even tomorrow, but when you’re ready the inspiration will be there! 

Inspiration: Speaking of inspiration, there's no shortage of it on Pinterest.  From art to fashion, decorating to photography...I say pin whatever speaks to you...The fun, the interesting, and the silly!  When you're feeling stuck or bored, visit your Pinterest boards and you'll feel energized, renewed and inspired by the pictures, colors and textures you love.

Self-expression: Whatever your interests, whatever you love, whatever catches your eye, can be pinned to your boards and shared with others via Pinterest. One popular item pinners pin is their decorating ideas.  There's also art, jewelry, fashion, and more.  Not only does sharing your personal preferences express your style to others, it clarifies it to yourself, too.  Turns out I like the warmth of wood floors and the casual feel of painted cabinetry. I prefer country living to city-life.  I'm a sucker for a good quote and baby animals.  How about you?      

Self-discovery: You might just be surprised to discover a new interest through Pinterest. For example, it had never before crossed my mind that it was possible to make your own cleaning supplies or personal care products.  Turns out there's people doing just that!  Whether to save money, or avoid exposure to harmful chemicals, many are pinning their recipes and formulas to their boards and it caught my attention.  It's something I plan to try soon and I'm ready with my instructions for an all-natural microdermabrasion application (guaranteed to make my skin glow), a natural body moisturizer (chemical-free, fragrance-free, color-free and preservative-free), and several recipes for homemade hand soap, window cleaner and laundry detergent.  A few less toxins on my body and in my house suddenly sounds like a good thing.

So don’t hide your passion for Pinterest, in fact, we say pin with pride!  And please follow Soulspring Groups on Pinterest for empowering ideas, inspiring words, our favorites from the web, and the products we love!  Feel free to comment, repin, and @mention us if you think run across something you think we’d love.

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:

"I pin because it makes me happy."

Get Reacquainted With Your Imagination

My four year old just entered an expressive new stage; imaginary friends. Seems as though she is very popular with these friends of the invisible sort, as she’s introduced me to about ten of them over the last week. A couple days ago I had to do everything in my power to keep from laughing as I watched her making “friends” with the knots in our dining room table. I had to be grateful though; they were very polite knots. As one knot said to the other, “Hello, my name is Evan, it’s very nice to meet you.”

At first I was a little worried thinking about how this might be a precursor to schizophrenia. As my mind wandered into the future I saw visions of critics blaming me, as the parent, for my daughter’s mental illness. But as I took a step back I realized what a special gift my four year old, and most I’m assuming, have at this age; the gift of imagination.

Children have the ability to turn a puddle into a vast ocean that takes days to cross. Or they can take the living room couch and turn it into a car, complete with front seat, back seat, and trunk. And give them a cardboard box and the possibilities are truly endless to what they can create and discover. But what happens to that imagination?

As we grow older and are faced with adult responsibilities, harsh lessons, and become more aware of reality, we lose the same kind of imagination that we all once possessed. As children, we’d fall asleep imagining all the fun things we can do the next day with the big sticks in the backyard and the old bucket in the basement. Then we’d wake up the very next day and make it happen. There was nothing holding us back. Now as adults, we daydream while stuck in traffic about our future, but just as quick as those visions come to us they are snatched away by our assumptions of what is possible.

Dr. Wayne Dyer teaches that imagination is the most important resource we have in achieving our dreams. How is it possible for us to attain something if we can’t first imagine it? Not very. We must first expand our imagination by letting our minds run wild. And then when we tap into what we really imagine for our futures, we need to believe that it is possible; question every corrupting thought you have.

And if your “imaginator” is still broke…seek out the help of a 4 year old!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” ~ Gloria Steinman