This became the mantra in our household when we purchased a house that was constructed in 1790. Boy, did it have character and charm. And, we also heated the outside on many cold nights. But the nooks and crannies, built-in bookcases and walk-in fireplaces made up for the less than adequate heat and electrical system.
Over one of the large fireplaces with the original beehive over that I adored, was a 12 by 24 inch indent in the wall. I spent many hours trying to decide what to do with the space. Out of the blue, my husband said:
"If you can't fix it, feature it."
16 years ago we left the 1790 house and built a new home. The overly eager excavators decided that I needed a fire pit. They moved huge rocks to an area in the back yard creating what I considered an eyesore. When I saw what they had done, I didn't have the heart to tell them that it wasn't what I considered a fire pit and moving the rocks would have taken a lot of effort. They were so proud of their accomplishments. Luckily, I already had my mantra from the last house. After much thought, I decided that they had created the most wonderful location for a water element. My husband and I dug out a place for a small pond, added a waterfall, planted some flowers and this is one of my favorite features on our property. It is a serene, inspirational place for me to meditate, read or just listen to. My cat also gets great enjoyment sunning on a rock and watching the chipmunks,
If you can't fix it, feature it, can be applied to many situations that have nothing to do with decorating, building or any material thing. For example, Emme, best known as one of the first plus-size models, has featured her wonderful attributes rather than try to fix what the modeling world considered adequate. Thanks to her advocacy, many women have been able to embrace their bodies and shape. Emme adds author, television personality, designer and celebrity to her many accomplishments due to her bravery to feature rather than fix herself.
Dr. Steve Maraboli, a motivational speaker, author and Behavioral Science Academic has an inspirational quote:
"There is nothing more pure, more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty."
Amy Purdy, who became a double amputee at the age of 19 was one of the celebrities on Dancing with the Stars 2014. As a result of Meningitis she could not fix the situation she found herself in and she sure has featured it. She is an accomplished athlete and snowboarder who has won numerous World Cups and won a Bronze medal at the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
"We can complain because the rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorns have roses."
- Abraham Lincoln
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