A new Whole Foods store opened about 10 blocks from my house and so far this week I've shopped there ever day.
I love everything about this store. I love driving up into the parking garage, grabbing a little green wire cart, and taking the elevator down into the store. I love wandering the aisles and looking at all the unfamiliar brands. I love cruising past the bakery, checking out the petite sweets, stopping at prepared foods and buying grilled veggies and spinach-rice cakes, hitting the meat counter in the back for an entree for dinner.
The funny thing is, Portland has a plethora of wonderful natural food stores, some funky, others just as lush as Whole Foods. New Seasons, for instance, is a home-grown version of Whole Foods. I enjoy shopping there, I do. I believe in choosing the local option whenever possible. And I agree with the business policies of New Seasons, as well as the way they treat their employees. Whereas I think the CEO of Whole Foods is a jerk and don't agree with his policies.
But I love shopping at his store beyond all reason. Why? Because, for whatever reason, shopping at Whole Foods makes me feel abundant. I like that feeling. I want to feel abundant in every area of my life–financial, relationships, family, career, writing–except for my physical body, because, well, abundance does have a tendency to turn to fat.
I talk a lot about abundance in the workshops I do. (Um, that's probably a good thing seeing as how they are titled, Writing Abundance.) Finding abundance in the form of a prolific and prosperous writing practice is what I guide people to do, through workshops, coaching, and this blog.
So abundance is a hot topic for me, and I've learned that abundance is as much a feeling as anything. When I find something that makes me feel abundant, I'm all about soaking it in, reveling it it, letting that feeling surround and energize me.
Hence my current love affair with Whole Foods. Like all good love stories, I have no idea why it attracts me so, since love is generally blind, but I'm going with the feeling. However, when I'm not cruising the aisles like a small child in a toy store, or planning my next trip there, I've thought a bit about what makes me feel abundant in writing.
There's the obvious–racking up a good daily word count makes me feel abundant in writing. But beyond the actual act of writing, what makes you feel abundant? For me it's a stack of yellow legal pads, a couple of Moleskines, and a package of brand new pens (my current favorite being the Pentel Ener-Gel, but it will change next month).
None of which are available, by the way, at Whole Foods. Perhaps it is time to resume my long relationship with Fred Meyer.
What tools make you feel abundant in your writing?
judy
I think your affair with Whole Foods is wonderful! Love is blind. I just read this today: “Love has some ingredient for flat-out lunacy in it.” (Charles Baxter)
Shop away!
Charlotte Dixon
Ah, now I came blame it on lunacy instead of blindness. Much better!
Christi
Time is what makes me feel abundant in my writing.
To clarify, when I have a block of time all to myself, I treasure it and smile as the hours stretch before me. To have time means I’m I’m free to write whatever comes to mind.
Christi
http://christicorbett.wordpress.com
Charlotte Dixon
Time is the ultimate valuable commodity in this crazy world of ours! Author Richard Goodman says that if you can focus, you can move the world, but you need time to focus. I think he’s right. And I’m totally with you, too, nothing more abundant than a huge block of time stretching before you in which to write.
Jessica
Not living in America I can’t relate to the exact shops you are referring to, however I have a serious Officeworks addiction. http://www.officeworks.com.au It is the ultimate place to buy stationary. And the great thing about it is: Most times I don’t even buy. I just walk up and down the isles and imagine. And imagining saves money…most of the time.
Although, I’ve only ever found the perfect journal at Officeworks once. For journals I usually go to a newsagent in a nearby shopping centre. There’s nothing quite as good as buying a fresh new journal knowing you’ve already got your first idea to write in it. That’s a good feeling…
Charlotte Dixon
Oh God, don’t even get me started on office supply stores. I could drop a fortune in them. But you’re also right in that sometimes it is just as much fun to stroll the aisles. And yes, nothing better than a new journal!
I was reading a memoir last night and the author was shocked–shocked!–to find that she had a dozen journals filled. Um, I have, like hundreds.
Derek
I tend to think that I am abundantly thin and trim. It works most of the time, and sometimes it is good to let it go for a while and tuck into all those foods that I am not supposed to eat.
I remember my nutritionist once telling me that it would be good for me to challenge my physical system now and again and not just keep eating what was good for me or my body will get lazy. I don’t know if I agree though because I love whole foods that are good for me. Unfortunately we don’t have a store nearby that just focuses on wholefoods, so I get to challenge myself a little more often since we have moved from the city.
Charlotte Dixon
I’ll try that: I am abundantly thin and trim, I am abundantly thin and trim…
Interesting viewpoint from your nutritionist, usually they are so insistent that we eat right all the time. And good that you get to challenge yourself!
Shopping basket
You did a great shopping… I like every items…Its best blog!!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Magazine-Your-Premium-Womens-Natural-Health-Magazine/262734921452?ref=ts