I have a stunning diamond bracelet that has been hidden away in a safe place for years and years. The bracelet belonged to my grandmother and I take it out from time to time to look at it because it is so beautiful and I long to wear it. So, why does it live hidden away, and why am I paying insurance on something I don’t use? Besides the fact that I don’t have many opportunities to wear a fancy bracelet, the few times I have worn it I was miserable! The center of the bracelet is 36 diamonds with a marquis as the focal point. The stones are in a stunning Art Deco setting with a ratcheted white gold band. What’s so miserable about that, you may ask? Well, the ratcheted band snags the hairs on my arm causing painful pinches and the weight of the center diamonds makes the bracelet flip downwards so I can’t see the diamonds and I worry that I will hit the setting on a hard surface and damage the stones. There’s no joy in wearing the bracelet.

 

Last spring, I met a jewelry designer at a NAPO NY meeting. Her name is Jane Becker and she owns JB Jewels. When I learned about Jane’s design skills and saw samples of other heirlooms she transformed into “new” pieces of jewelry, I was inspired to reimagine my bracelet. We met several times to work on the project, and within a few months, she delivered to me a “new” piece of jewelry. I wear it all the time and enjoy it immensely…. and it’s not a bracelet! I am wearing my new ring as I write this post. Admittedly, it is a bit glitzier than my usual taste, but I love it!

 

While this post is not about a typical disorganization challenge, for me the bracelet I loved but couldn’t wear was a source of frustration and disappointment. Why should I protect and pay to insure something that I can’t (or won’t) use? Who is it serving? Not me. Whether it’s boxes of clothes that no longer fit, sporting equipment that doesn’t suit your current stage of life, or stacks of books you once enjoyed but have no intention of reading again – these are examples of things we own that take up valuable real estate in our homes or in paid storage units AND that silently weigh on us. These are possessions that drain our resources and interfere with our happiness.

 

Now that it is a new year and a new decade, I challenge you to hit the RESET button and figure out what the diamond bracelet is in your life? Transform it or let it go, because you do not deserve to feel frustration and disappointment! I am always here to cheer you on and make the process go smoothly.

My Grandmother’s Bracelet….that lived in the dark for 20+ years.

 

In transition…..

 

Wearing it and enjoying it!

SEE YOUR WAY CLEAR

Scarsdale, NY 10583 United States
Phone: (914) 907‑6712
Email: Jocelyn@Kenner.org
By Appointment Only