Living Life Large

Another approach to living

Maybe it’s January, or maybe it’s me, but lately, the market seems flooded with books and articles about paring down, getting lean and organizing our things and our time. I understand the sentiment.

This is all very well and useful but there’s always a part of me that wants to push back. The life I envision is not one that keeps me within a straight and narrow path, hemmed in by constraints and reminders of how I can make the most out of the least.

For many years, I ran an artisan bread bakery where I started to live out what I call “a life that matters.” Culturally, I was following a model I had grown up with in Belgium, where the local bakers (there were four within walking distance of our family home) baked for their local customers and, at the same time, created a livelihood for themselves. That also included time off for rejuvenating vacations and family time. Instead of being driven by bottom lines and profit, I wanted to create a community hub where people mattered.

Some did not understand that I wasn’t interested in investors or making as much money as I could. One customer used to tell me, ”Do you realize you are sitting on a gold mine?” He would probably be shocked that I never could answer the question of what I paid for my flour! I just knew I needed flour so I paid the asking price for organic hard wheat flour. What I really wanted to focus on was my passion for baking and passing that on to anyone who walked in the door. It also included taking the time to listen to customers’ stories. It meant that we weren’t always very efficient in our work because we took the time to observe the world and  laugh. One famous afternoon, we made a cake for an employee then closed our doors for a minute to try to float it with lit candles down the Millrace! 

Against the flow of rules and discipline and the almighty dollar, I tried to make the bakery a place where we lived life large.  Our focus on how it could be instead of how it should be provided more chances for creativity. With our annual open house where we opened our doors to our regulars for a feast, we gave back to our customers instead of always taking. 

On a personal level, as I look at February on the horizon, I want to continue to live large. I’ll focus on the process instead of the outcome, I’ll share good things with others as I can, I’ll believe that as positive feelings go out into the world, they’ll also make their way back. I want to take up space in the world and retain those things that make it richer. Above all, I’ll continue to take the time to look and see and share the goodness.