In preparation for the dark moon, I decided to buy cashews as one of my offerings. I put them in a large canning jar (as witches are prone to do) and as you can see, it isn't full. So in my infinite wisdom, I decided to top it up with sunflower seeds. I then headed out to the yard to trim a tree or two and fill the bird feeders. While I was working, I was told that I was going to separate the sunflower seeds from the cashews.
This reminded me of the tasks Baba Yaga assigned to Vasilisa.
“Baba Yaga said that Vasilisa must perform tasks to earn the fire, or be killed. She was to clean the house and yard, wash Baba Yaga's laundry, and cook her a meal. She was also required to separate grains of rotten corn from sound corn, and separate poppy seeds from grains of soil.” - Wikipedia
I am not in any way comparing what I was asked to do to separating poppy seeds from grains of soil. What I reflected on while I worked was the motivation behind filling the jar. Was I simply trying to appear affluent? Why was the offering that I chose not enough on it's own? I often do this. Go ten steps beyond what is expected because I feel to do otherwise isn't enough. That my honest effort isn't valid. That I am not good enough unless I surpass everyone's expectations. The flaw in this thinking is that once others grow accustomed to this level, then their expectations also inflate to the point that you consistently overextend yourself, causing harm to your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial well-being.
The lesson here is that what you offer is enough and that trying to offer more than what you have to give is only going to mean more work for you, not more gratitude from the recipient. Instead, focus on giving every task an honest effort.
