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Writer's pictureChristal Cleary

Some of the best advice I have ever received with Christal Clear Soaps

Updated: Jul 8, 2022




( Christal Clear Soaps Army)




Sometimes advice just sticks with you throughout life. Having over 38 years on this earth, these are so some of the most memorable pieces of advice that I have received. These lessons are something that I do my best to pass along to others while helping to reinforce them in myself. I am grateful to those who have taken the time to share with me and make a long-lasting impression on my life.





Saying “NO” to someone else is saying “YES” to yourself is something one of my first bosses used to tell me. This has taken me many years to practice without feeling bad or guilty. Taking the time to make myself a priority in my life has been a challenge for me, noticing that I can not help or take care of others if I am not taking time to recharge and build back up my strength has helped me to practice this skill of saying “NO”.



( This tree is named " The Tree Of Life", it lives on the Washington Coast. I took this photo on one of our anniversary trips. It is my favorite Bonsai tree I have ever seen, nature is amazing!)


When learning, ask the questions that interest you. You do not have to learn only what is being taught. My brother-in-law gave me this advice when I was starting plant identification classes at the local college. I am interested in plants and what they can do for our bodies, are they edible, do they have medicinal properties, when is the best time to harvest, is there any part of the plant that is poisonous or toxic to animals? These are the questions I wanted to focus on, not just what is the family name, what is the correct spelling for the scientific name of the plant. Being dyslexic is not always easy, especially when having to spell Dwarf Gold Thread Leaf Cypress - Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea Nana' off the top of your head while being timed, and have to identify 30 different little pieces of a plant. I did not get the best grade in my class, but I worked my ass off and learned a lot of what I wanted to learn along the way. I was able to make my way to work at a local plant and tree nursery, a specialty orchid shop, and flower shops in town with the knowledge I picked up. Asking questions that are not on the syllabus is a wonderful way to grow your skills and personalize your skillset. My teachers did not always like that I asked questions they did not know the answers to, but we all got to learn something new together.




(Watercolor heart I painted.)



Grief is something everyone experiences in life for many different reasons. This is the most beautiful and powerful emotion in my opinion and is a personal experience. Learning how to share my grief and learn about what others grieve over has been something that has helped me a lot. I have learned a lot about grief from my friend and neighbor Saul, and am grateful for his willingness to share stories about things that he grieves over. Not everyone has friends who are so open and passionate about life to share such personally intimate and hurtful. We all have grief and learning how to share it has been a beautiful skill that I am learning and remembering that I do not have to carry it all on my own helps. Sharing in this emotion can help lighten the load and has given me a new perspective, which I hope to be able to share with others on their journey with this emotion we call grief. Be patient with yourself, grief sucks sometimes.




(You never know what you will find if you keep your eyes and mind open.)



Anger is not worth the energy. It has taken me many years of being angry to learn that happiness is a choice we make. Making my happiness a priority in my life is not something that I have always done. Carrying around grief, sadness, anger, hurt, wears a person down over time and is an unhealthy habit. Anger can cause physical ailments and cause your body to be tight and muscles to get sore. Finding ways to notice what bothers me, and working on how I can change it has helped me to enjoy my life a lot more. Taking the time to be kinder to me and allow me to acknowledge my anger has helped me not let things get built up to where I am overwhelmed.



( Gus, the larch in Montana!)



Kindness goes a long way and it is FREE. Sometimes just a simple compliment to a stranger can change their day. Oftentimes people can be amazing at giving compliments and have no practice receiving them, making them uncomfortable. It is worth the practice to give and receive kind words. Saying “Please & Thank You” has become something that many of us do not practice anymore. Holding the door open for someone, and practicing common courtesy are gestures that we can pass along by taking the time to do on our own while teaching those around us to follow in the footsteps of kindness on their own.



(Something beautiful)

My father has told me ever since I was young that “Life Sucks”, and we need to be able to make our happiness and see the beauty in daily life and ordinary things. Learning how to become passionate about making an effort of enjoying life is one of the most important things we can do as individuals. By taking the time to make joy and bring what sparks that feeling of love, and happiness into our daily life, and learning how to share it with others helps to enrich our lives. Life is full of things trying to take you down and eat up all of your joy, it is up to each one of us to do our best to find our path to enjoyment. Learning how to make lemonade out of lemons in whatever way we can. Every day is a special occasion, so don’t save things for “one special day”, there is no better time than now! It is better to use it and lose it doing what you love than to have never given yourself a chance to enjoy it!




(Make your own happiness!)


LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO USE BAD SOAP!



Christal Cleary Owner/Creator of Christal Clear Soaps










 

Here is a list of my completed blogs! Learn a bit about Cold Process Soap, Christal Clear Soaps, and how I got started making all-natural fragrance-free soap.


5) Sand

6) Indigo

7 Rose & wildflower

8) holiday gifts

9) In the garden

10) What’s in my bag

11) Fall is here

12) Essential oils

13) Clays

14) Favorite self-care tips

15) Spices are not just for cooking

16) What I am thankful for

17) New in the shop/stocking up with Christal Clear Soaps

18) An accomplishment I am proud of

19) Houseguests

20) Selfcare during the holidays

21) Face masks

22) Matcha green tea

23) Goals for the year

24) My favorite planners

26) Special occasions

27) Get to know me facts

28) Lovers at home spa day

29) Where to find my soaps

30) Throwback to my old soaps

31) The language of love

32) Top 5 productivity tips

33) Express gratitude for people

34) Books I love

35) St. Patricks Day

36) Green soaps

37) Some of my favorite songs

38) Honey

39) Salts

40) Lilacs and spring flowers

41) Nightime routine

42) Pack an order with me

43) Graduation, Mothers Day

44) Some of my role models


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