Without mincing words- 2021 wasn’t the year we expected it to be. While we thought we left the chaos of 2020 behind us- life apparently had other plans. Thankfully humans are strong, adaptable, and resilient creatures, and despite the challenges of the year, we still find ourselves with plenty of things to be grateful for. That’s why our goals for 2022 look a little different than the ones of the past- the goals we are setting for ourselves this year have one unifying theme, in that they focus on the present. By focusing on being present, rather than living in the past, or future, we give ourselves permission to experience life as it is, right here and now, and fully take the moment in. Petalled was built on the idea of creating beautiful moments, by giving you a chance to to find a new hobby, escape reality, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. If you are reading this, we hope our resolutions will inspire you to go into 2022 with an open and hopeful mindset.
Here are the top 5 things we want to cultivate in 2022:
Honor the Seasons
Time never stops running. We blink- it’s fall, we blink again- it’s winter. The seasons just seem to flash by in an instant. But there is something to be said about celebrating the changing of seasons, and celebrating the special traditions that come with every season. Paying attention to and honoring the seasons helps us feel the passage of time more slowly.
As a floral business, we have a special consideration for seasonality. We know we have to work with the seasons, rather than against them, and accept that every flower has it’s time. To ensure fresh and sustainable flowers, we work closely with USA based growers that also follow the ebbs and flows of the season. To honor the seasons more in your life, we encourage you to think about all your favorite things that may only be available at certain times of year, and when they come into season. We, for one, have our peach cobbler recipes ready for when summer rolls around.
Create Memorable experiences
If the last couple years have taught us anything, it’s that life is short, so you might as well have some fun! This year, we especially hope to make new memories based on sentimental shared experiences with our loved ones. Does that sound nice? Why not try it?
Bring in the new year, or welcome spring with your favorite friends and family, by bonding over activities, food, and good company. Create new traditions over the holidays- for example, this upcoming Easter, why not make DIY flower bouquets a part of your Easter brunch? Flowers are symbolic of spring, and new beginnings, and creating something beautiful is a great way to celebrate.
Express Gratitude
We have it so lucky sometimes, and it’s so easy to forget to count our blessings. This year we want to express gratitude freely and abundantly. It’s a reminder of all the good things in life. This year, if you want to do the same, make sure to remind the people you love how special they are. Return a favor with a lovely thank you gift- make them a bouquet or send them a DIY flower bouquet kit if you know they are the crafty type. We guarantee that it will brighten their day.
Cherish Communities
Businesses are built on communities. We know we rely on and appreciate the work of our farmers that work hard to grow the sustainable, gorgeous flowers used in our DIY flower kits. We rely on our community of customers who support, purchase, and love our products. And last but not least, any time of the year, we know we can turn to friends, family, neighbors, and people around us for company, food, and emotional support. Without communities, we would be isolated all the time- a feeling many of us struggled with in the last year.
That’s why we think it’s more important now than ever to truly lean into and cherish our communities. One way to do this is by volunteering our time and resources into serving the community better. And thanks to technology, our communities do not solely have to be based on traditional systems- like religion, or geographic proximity. You can find communities based on any interest, hobby, or passion you have. Volunteering for a local cause is another great way to do this. Without community, it’s easy to get so focused on ourselves, and our problems, that we forget to see the bigger picture. By participating and cherishing our communities we are rewarded with presence, perspective, and the feeling of being a part of something bigger, and that’s why we love it.
Appreciate Beauty
Last but not least, we want to take more time in 2022 to appreciate beauty. Our technologically advanced world loves to bombard us with images of despair, news headlines of problems, and an ongoing discourse on everything that’s going on. We want to switch this narrative to focus on something better instead. Hope is revitalized when you look for the beauty in it. And an easy place to start is with nature.
Flowers are nothing if not beautiful- and seeing something with stunning colors and shapes activates something ethereal in our brains. But the appreciation of beauty is not something that always comes easily, or naturally, to everyone. Everyone has different ideas on what they constitute to be beautiful- and that’s ok. That’s part of the journey.
If you want to learn to foster and appreciate beauty, just know that it is something that can be cultivated. Visiting art exhibits, exploring nature, watching films or going to museums are all ways to expand your view and discover new concepts of “what is beautiful.” The more we pause and stop to appreciate beauty, the easier it becomes to see it everywhere. So without being cliche, we want to say- don’t forget to stop and smell the roses, and appreciate the beauty in life.
We hope that by the end of next year, our journey to slow down and appreciate the day to day will lead us to feel more connected to our environment, communities, and grateful for all the good things in life. We hope you’ve been inspired to do the same. If you want to try something new, fun and creative next year, check out our DIY flower arrangement kits. You might end up finding your new favorite thing.
From Petalled, We wish you a happy, healthy, and wonderful new year!