Welcome to my first post! It is my intention that this blog serve not only as a place for me to synthesize my ideas and create meaning around mindfulness in my life, but to also reach out and resonate with whoever reads this. My guess is that if you find this blog or any particular post, you were likely meant to. Some idea, word, picture, or phrase might be just what you needed to spark your own meaningful connection, or perhaps reinforce it. In the same way, your contributions will add a great deal to my own learning and further inspire me to write, reflect, and share.
And now, for the daffodils...
I took the photo above just yesterday. For months, during a long winter, I passed this same spot only to see piles of snow or hibernating flowers beneath the soil. I look all around me and I see different forms of life taking shape at different times, all on different schedules. The daffodils are out, but the lilacs are still sleeping. The roses aren't quite ready and neither are the rhododendron. The trees will have leaves any day now. The beauty of nature is that while it's on a very disciplined schedule, is cannot be rushed. When it's time to bloom, it's time to bloom, and that's it. When the temperature has been consistently warm, the sun has gotten just close enough to the northern hemisphere, and the rain has been poured (instead of snow!), you have the recipe for the birth of Spring. It happens in a moment - it happens mindfully.
Yes, it is a metaphor
For me, the past year was rather chaotic. I'm sure many will be nodding their heads in agreement that theirs was as well. Transitions were a big 2012 trend, as was the quest to find my purpose. There are many things that I came across over the year including insecurities, vulnerabilities, and fears that left me unable to sleep. Some would say that not sleeping happened because I was trying to "wake up". I like to believe that. I prayed, I made vision boards, I did so many things to manifest what I wanted. I learned though, that the best question to ask is "what is it that I'm really meant to do" or "why am I here"? That question gets a lot of attention. There is no physical evidence of the person, people, or things that hear that, but many will attest to the fact that they know they are heard. I believe we are no different than a daffodil or any other living thing throughout the universe. Lucky for flowers, they don't have a certain culture to persuade them not to grow or other flowers telling them what to do to be the prettiest. They just bloom when it's time to do so. As humans, we face so many obstacles that create barriers to blooming. But when you ask the question, "what am I here for? Show me what I need to know to be the best version of me", those barriers begin to weaken. The true intention of the heart and soul to be in the company of that which doesn't listen to barriers (like daffodils), will bloom.
But when? When will it bloom? Mindfulness is, I think, the best tool to deal with this. Not only does it help you build a relationship independent of the past and future, but it gives you insight. When barriers are weakened, this allows room for other information and new opportunities to come in. If you're continuously worried or obsessing over details, that is like pulling the roots out of the ground. It's sabotage. One of the hardest lessons I learned was that I was sabotaging myself, though not consciously. Years of developed insecurities, fears, etc. - they bloomed instead. They are the weeds. They too however, serve a purpose. If they had never been there, how could I see the difference in myself now? Well, I couldn't. There is much freedom in pulling the weeds. Especially once you can see how they get in the way of those gorgeous daffodil faces. To have that perception of yourself, that you need to pull your weeds in order to reveal your beauty is what mindfulness brings. And you need to know that you do deserve that happiness.
In time, you find that different aspects of yourself and opportunities will bloom when they are ready - and you will understand that the timing of all of them is perfect. You don't have to be pressured or pressure yourself to grow. This doesn't mean you sit on the couch all day and wait. As a student of mindfulness you will not act this way, by default. There is freedom in releasing control and just being with and believing in, yourself. Once that relationship with self is in place, you will be pleasantly surprised at who and what starts to grow soon after.
Thanks for reading,
The Mindful Froggy, otherwise known as Christine
