I absolutely love entertaining. But all too often, I get to the end of the week, and I’m exhausted and don’t have the energy to clean up the house and make a meal worthy of having guests over to enjoy. Does this sound familiar?
Then at the end of the year, I have regrets as I look over pictures on my phone. I regret not reaching out and spending time with certain people. I regret not celebrating holidays the way I used to with a big get-together, including family and friends. I consistently long for more connection in our post-pandemic world, yet creating action around those feelings is harder than one might imagine.
Why? Because, like so many people, I am in the flow of work, raising kids, volunteering, basically living my day-to-day life, and entertaining folks is an extra lift that I tell myself that I don’t have in me. But that’s not actually the truth!
The real issue is that I see entertaining people in our home to look like this picture. And that is a picture of my actual home, but it’s unrealistic that every time I invite someone over for dinner, we will have beautiful place settings, candles lit, and an elaborate, healthy meal waiting to be enjoyed.
What I truly desire is to have more people around this table for connection and conversation. It doesn’t have to be a fancy meal; heck, it can be take out. I want more moments of laughter, pure joy, and deep conversations. But first, I need to change the perspective in my mind and let go of the concept of perfection. To dismiss the idea that there will be a picture worth posting on social media of the get-together.
My first step? Text my friends and send the invite. Set the stage for the event by telling them what type of dish to bring for a potluck dinner and how to dress- casual clothes are a must! I’ll wipe countertops, vacuum the floors, and clean the bathroom folks will use while visiting. But I won’t obsess about having a spotless home.
What about you? Think about how you would like to spend your energy in the coming month. What do you regret when you look over your calendar or pictures on your phone of the last few months? Is it entertaining or a connection with people you care about? If we thought of energy as currency in your personal energy bank, how would you spend it? And with whom? Now let’s stop depleting our energy banks with activities that don’t light us up and set the intention to make a change this month. I believe in you!
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